Artificial intelligence might replace some jobs but it can also give you a competitive edge in the workplace.

Nearly all executives — 96% — feel an urgency to incorporate AI into their business operations, according to a March 2024 Slack Workforce Lab survey of more than 10,000 professionals.

But if you feel conflicted about this new technology, you're not alone. Researchers can't seem to agree on if, and how, workers are using AI: Some reports claim that professionals are excited about and experimenting with AI, while others say most adults have not tried using AI tools on the job or do not trust them.

Regardless of where you stand on AI, people who don't learn to use it risk losing career opportunities to those who do, new research from Microsoft and LinkedIn found. 

AI skills could rival job experience in hiring decisions — and not just in tech

Close to 70% of leaders say they won't hire someone without AI skills and would rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced person without them, according to the report, which surveyed more than 30,000 people in 31 countries. 

"Learning basic AI skills — such as prompt engineering, machine learning or data literacy — is the best insurance to shortcut your competitiveness against people who might have more experience," Aneesh Raman, a vice president and workforce expert at LinkedIn, tells CNBC Make It. 

Some companies including Google and Amazon have announced investments in teaching their workforce AI skills, but such initiatives aren't the norm: Only 25% of companies are planning to offer training on generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft and LinkedIn found.

There are dozens of free online courses people can use to learn AI skills offered by companies like IBM and Google and Ivy League institutions like Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania.

The hype around AI is far from peaking — it's just starting to build, according to Colette Stallbaumer, general manager of Microsoft Copilot and co-founder of Microsoft WorkLab. 

Of course, Microsoft is betting big on AI. In May, the tech giant announced it will invest $3.3 billion over the next four years to build new cloud and AI infrastructure.

"Less than two years after generative AI burst onto the scene, we're seeing this technology being woven into the fabric of work across a wide range of industries," Stallbaumer says. "This is happening at a pivotal time where the pressure, volume and pace of work from the Covid-19 pandemic has hardly let up. Employees are overwhelmed and turning to AI for help." 

Generative AI tools in particular have seen a surge in workplace adoption, with usage doubling in the last six months, Microsoft and LinkedIn report.

It's not just programmers and engineers experimenting with these tools: Architects, project managers and administrative assistants are among the professionals looking to build their AI aptitude the most. 

Non-tech industries including health care, finance and marketing are adopting AI technologies at a rapid clip to streamline business operations and boost productivity, Stallbaumer adds, creating high demand and new job opportunities for professionals skilled in these tools.

Gen Zers could use AI to accelerate their careers

As more leaders demand AI skills in new hires, younger applicants with AI acumen stand to have greater access to job opportunities over their more experienced peers without those skills and accelerate their ascent up the corporate ladder. 

Gen Z employees, being digital natives, are more likely to use these tools at work than their millennial, Gen X and Baby Boomer colleagues, Microsoft and LinkedIn found.

What's more, 77% of leaders say that early-career talent with AI skills will be given greater responsibilities at work, the Microsoft and LinkedIn data shows.

Raman says AI could also help young professionals move their careers forward by providing faster access to tailored career advice, market research and other data-driven insights that help them feel more confident and competent in their jobs.

Lydia Logan, IBM's vice president of global education and workforce development, expects that the rapid integration of AI in the workplace will trigger significant changes to entry-level job responsibilities.

"When I think about the first job I had, a lot of what I was doing was answering the phone, organizing files, and that's still the case for a lot of people," she says. "Many of those administrative tasks that can now be automated with AI, which leaves room for entry-level workers to take on the kind of responsibilities someone one or even two levels above them on the corporate ladder might have."

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