The race to develop generative AI (GenAI) skills is well and truly on — and now Coursera has revealed who’s winning, and who is falling behind. The picture is less than rosy for a number of leading economies that are being comprehensively outstripped by their competitors, with the U.S. among those having to play catch up.
The Surge in GenAI Skills Demand
The demand for generative AI skills exploded following the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot in November 2022. As one of the largest online learning platforms, with 148 million learners around the world, Coursera is in a leading position to map global trends. According to Coursera’s Global Skills Reports 2024, the past year has seen a 1,060% increase in GenAI course enrollments, an unprecedented surge reflecting the eagerness of both employers and employees to equip themselves with the skills they need.
“We are seeing one of the biggest groundswells of interest in this topic area — it is really quite amazing,” said Marni Baker Stein, Coursera’s chief content officer. “Every minute of 2023 someone enrolled on a GenAI course on Coursera; this year it is four times that.” Learners range from those who are just curious or want to use it to plan a dinner party or their travel, to computer scientists exploring how it works, she added.
“It is such an accessible technology,” she said. “And what is special about this technology is it has the potential to positively affect productivity as well as creativity in almost every job role.”
Global Disparities in GenAI Skill Uptake
However, behind the overall figures, it is clear that some economies are doing significantly better than others in equipping their workforce with GenAI skills. While the increase in uptake in GenAI skills of 1,058% in the U.S. is just below the global average, it is lagging behind many of its key competitors. In the Asia Pacific region as a whole, for example, GenAI enrollment rose by 1,270%, and India was one of the top performers with an increase of 1,648%.
In the Americas, both Mexico and Brazil have seen a bigger increase in GenAI enrollment, at 1,091% and 1,079% respectively. The U.S. ranks 69th in the Global Skills Report overall — with Switzerland, Japan, and Germany taking the top three places according to Coursera’s analysis, which combines proficiency in its online courses with a range of external factors, including labor force participation and GDP per head.
The U.K. is also struggling, despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s attempts to position it as a science and technology superpower. Although it places slightly higher than the U.S. on overall skills, its 45th place is nothing to boast about, and while a 961% increase in GenAI uptake may seem impressive, it is below the global average.
Challenges in the U.S. and U.K.
“The U.S. and U.K. are facing similar challenges in their skills agendas,” said Baker Stein. “In large part, they’re not keeping up with the top-performing countries.” Governments, universities, and employers have all been slow off the mark in promoting the need for students and employees to equip themselves with the skills the economy needs, she said. The fundamental problem for both economies is a lack of investment in skills, including providing their respective workforces with the information they need about workplace skills.
“In an age where the battle for talent is fierce, the U.S. and the U.K. need to get serious about their support for upskilling and reskilling,” Baker Stein said. “Otherwise these big powerhouses are going to be left behind.”
A Global Perspective
Coursera is not the only pathway to skills, and alternative routes will be more popular in some economies, but its sheer size and global reach means its figures are a pointer to skills trends. Fears that the U.K. in particular could fall behind in the race for GenAI skills were echoed by Dan Thomson, founder of AI EdTech firm Sensay.
While its world-class universities have given it a head-start, the U.K. is in danger of squandering this without significant investment in AI skills, he said. The lack of progress contrasts with competitors such as the U.A.E. and China, which are putting AI at the center of everything they do.
“The U.K.’s leading universities can’t afford to slip into complacency and assume that they’ll always lead the way,” he said. “To keep up with the pace of development, U.K. universities have to embrace GenAI more comprehensively than they have done so far.”
Conclusion
The race for GenAI skills is intensifying globally, with significant disparities emerging between different regions and countries. While some nations are surging ahead, others, including prominent economies like the U.S. and U.K., are falling behind. As generative AI continues to revolutionize various sectors, the need for robust investment in skills development has never been more critical. Without concerted efforts to upskill and reskill their workforces, these countries risk being left behind in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.