- Many STEM, IT and engineering graduates are considering careers in AI
- AI-related courses saw 866% more signups this year than last
- More prioritize compensation than work-life balance and opportunities
New research from Sopra Steria has claimed nearly half (46%) of the 3,200 STEM, IT and engineering graduates surveyed say they want to work in artificial intelligence, with emerging tech like quantum computing and hot topics like cloud and green IT also emerging as key aspirations.
Seperate date from Coursera shows this trend seems legitimate; the company revealed new data showing enrollments in AI-related courses have surged 866% year-over-year, making AI the fastest-growing skill globally.
Alarmingly, Coursera found only 28% of courses were taken by women, highlighting an emerging AI-induced disparity despite reported efforts to boost female participation in STEM.
The future of jobs is in AI, cloud, security
Beyond AI’s abilities to enhance productivity, we’ve also seen surges in AI-powered attacks, and a 71% year-over-year rise in cyberattacks overall. Cloudera noted that six of its top 10 fastest-growing tech skills were related to cybersecurity and risk management.
Cloudera found one in five (22%) workers have already updated their job descriptions to reflect their use of generative AI tools, including keywords like prompt engineering and ChatGPT.
“With proliferation of, and advancements in, foundational models, GenAI will continue to reshape jobs and industries at an unprecedented rate," noted Coursera EMEA Managing Director Nikolaz Foucaud.
Geographically, Sopra Steria found that France is the most AI-centric nation, with 55% of graduates aspiring to work with the tech. This correlates with the country’s general attitude towards artificial intelligence and the growing number of AI startups coming out of the country.
However, it might not be interest in artificial intelligence that’s driving graduates’ focus on the tech as they seek jobs. Half (47%) prioritize compensation and pay when searching for a job – more than the 36% each that prioritize work-life balance and career opportunities – suggesting that many believe working in this domain with in-demand skills could net them more cash.
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