Goldman Sachs predicts generative AI could boost global GDP by seven percent this decade.
With stakes this high, businesses can’t afford to obliterate their competitive edge by not equipping their workforce with the necessary AI skills. Yet, 82% of leaders acknowledge that their employees need new capabilities to prepare for AI advancements, while 60% of workers admit they lack the skills to get their jobs done effectively in this era of rapid technological change.
However, according to Gartner®, “By 2027, more than half of chief data and analytics officers (CDAOs) will secure funding for data literacy and artificial intelligence (AI) literacy programs, fueled by enterprise failure to realize expected value from generative AI.”*
We believe these stats underscore a critical question: Is your workforce ready to unlock the full value of AI, including generative AI?
AI literacy goes beyond using tools like ChatGPT — it’s about understanding AI’s role in your organization, leveraging it responsibly, embedding it into workflows to amplify productivity and innovation, and continuously learning and adapting from there. To explore some essentials of AI literacy, let’s break it down alphabetically into the ABCs of AI literacy, a fun overview designed to help analytics and AI leaders build a robust foundation in this critical area.
AI literacy begins with awareness. Analytics and AI leaders need to enable themselves and their employees to grasp what AI is, what it isn’t, and its capabilities and limitations. AI literacy is a critical need not just for team members, but for leaders as well.
What to focus on when it comes to enabling your teams:
AI is only as good as the data it learns from, and biases in AI systems can perpetuate unfair outcomes. Building an understanding of bias in AI models and promoting responsible use is vital.
Key questions to explore:
Example: Training employees on Responsible AI guidelines ensures tools like generative AI are deployed in ways that align with organizational values and regulatory requirements.
AI literacy isn’t just for data scientists — it’s for everyone, including leaders. Encouraging cross-functional collaboration ensures AI is integrated seamlessly into various parts of the organization. Here, analytics and AI leaders should promote collaboration between their teams, IT, and the business teams, as well as train employees on how to partner with AI to augment their expertise.
To ensure collaboration for AI literacy, executives can create AI champions in each department, develop interdisciplinary AI project teams, encourage knowledge-sharing platforms, and design collaborative AI skill-building initiatives in dedicated AI literacy workshops and mentorship programs.
AI thrives on data. Without foundational data literacy, employees may struggle to understand how AI systems make decisions or how to improve those decisions.
Essential skills:
Executives can cultivate these skills via micro-learning modules, hands-on data analysis workshops, interactive data visualization training, and certification programs.
AI literacy also means fostering a culture of experimentation. Employees should feel empowered to explore AI tools and integrate them into their work. Practically speaking, analytics and AI leaders can offer sandboxes and low-stakes experimentation zones for employees to test AI tools and share success stories to inspire confidence and innovation.
Organizations that invest in AI literacy programs see tangible benefits:
AI literacy is no longer optional — it’s a strategic imperative. By embracing the ABCs of AI literacy, enterprises can ensure their workforce is equipped to navigate and thrive in an AI-powered world.
Be on the lookout for our upcoming AI literacy blog series on what AI literacy means more specifically to the CHRO, IT executives, and data executives.
*Gartner Press Release, Gartner Predicts More Than 50% of CDAOs Will Secure Funding for Data Literacy and AI Literacy Programs by 2027, January 29, 2024, https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-01-29-gartner-predicts-more-than-50-percent-of-cdaos-will-secure-funding-for-data-literacy-and-ai-literacy-programs-by-2027. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.