AI, big data among necessary skills for workers

This report cited a survey among 14 million employees from 1,000 companies in 55 countries worldwide, said Wilert Puriwat, dean of Chulalongkorn Business School.

Between 2025 and 2030, 170 million job positions would be introduced due to digital and environmental transformations, eliminating 92 million existing jobs due to economic changes and automation.

Technologies like artificial intelligence, robots and clean energy are factors that cause workers to change their roles and skills, he said, adding that the demand for environmental and renewable energy engineers would increase due to climate change.

Wilert pointed out that economic volatility and rising cost of living posed challenges among workers.

Aging populations in high-income countries and labour expansion in low-income countries would shift the labour market, he said, adding that economic polarisation, trade barriers and geopolitical conflicts would affect business models.

Wilert noted that AI and big data, analytical thinking, creative thinking, networks and cybersecurity are skills that would take pivotal roles in Thailand by 2050.

Meanwhile, the global focus would be on AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, technological literacy and creative thinking, he said.

Wilert outlined five strategies for Thailand:

• Boost skills necessary for workers to meet the labour market demand
• Search and support workers with skills that benefit the growth of new economic era
• Enhance working process and reduce costs with automation
• Adjust workers’ role, focusing on boosting their values
• Adopt technologies to boost business value and competitiveness

“New generation of workers should not only have good intelligence, but also a good heart to use digital skills for the benefit of society and themselves,” he added.