14X growth in AI professionals in India in last 7 years: LinkedIn

India has witnessed a 14x growth in the share of members who have added AI (artificial intelligence) skills to their profiles in the last seven years, according to the latest report by professional networking site LinkedIn.

Termed the 'Future of Work Report: AI at Work,' the report reveals that India is amongst the top 5 countries including Singapore, Finland, Ireland and Canada, where the AI skills diffusion rate has been the fastest. "We're also seeing the adoption of AI skills extend beyond tech to a range of industries, including retail, education, financial services, and many others," says the report.

"As of June 2023, Singapore has the highest diffusion rate over time (20x); in other words, the share of members who have added AI skills to their profiles is 20x as compared to January 2016. Finland (16x), Ireland (15x), India (14x), and Canada (13x) round out the top five countries with the highest rates of AI skills diffusion," it adds.

According to the report, 43% of the Indian workforce has witnessed an increase in AI use in their organisations, which has reportedly prompted 60% of total workers and 71% of Generational Z professionals to acquire AI skills. AI and machine learning are among the two top skills preferred by professionals.

An analysis of 25 countries by LinkedIn reveals that the pace at which the members added AI skills to their profiles nearly doubled since the launch of ChatGPT, rising from 7.7% (May- November 2022) to 13% (November-June 2023). "We're seeing more LinkedIn members around the globe adding AI skills to their profiles than ever before. Based on AI Skills Index data from 25 countries, by June 2023, the number of AI-skilled members was 9x larger than in January 2016," says the report.

"While AI skills generally are accelerating across industries and geographies, we’re also seeing GAI, such as ChatGPT, start to make its way into the world of work. As companies and organizations incorporate these new technologies into their daily operations, it will reshape our everyday jobs. GAI will reduce the time spent on some tasks and usher in new skills, while also raising the importance of people skills," it adds.

According to the report, professionals in Financial Services (30x), Retail (29x), and Wholesale (24x) are pivoting toward AI faster than in Technology, Information, and Media (11x).

Notably, earlier this year, Slack's 'State of Work 2023' revealed that 75% of the Indian professionals surveyed have adopted AI tools and automation to boost productivity, and that automation can save employees up to an entire working month per year - freeing up their time for more meaningful, impactful work.

The report, based on a survey of more than 2000 Indian desk workers, uncovered that AI and automation capabilities have the potential to streamline and optimise repetitive, time-consuming tasks, allowing Indian desk workers to focus on higher-value, strategic work.