This report from McKinsey looks the key skills of today and the future and examines the implications of shifting skill requirements on organisations and workers.
Over the next 10 to 15 years, the adoption of automation and artificial intelligence technologies will transform the workplace, as people increasingly interact with ever smarter machines. These technologies, and that human-machine interaction, will bring numerous benefits, in the form of higher economic growth, improved corporate performance, and new prosperity. Automation will replace ageing workers at a time when the working-age population in many countries is declining. It will help solve societal problems as well; already AI-powered machines are more adept than expert doctors at diagnosing some diseases from X-rays and MRIs. Our prior research suggests that automation and AI could give a boost to productivity growth, which has waned in advanced countries over the past decade, and generate considerable value for companies across sectors, from agriculture and media to healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Firms use these technologies to conduct predictive maintenance in manufacturing, personalise "next product to buy" recommendations, optimise pricing in real time, and identify fraudulent transactions, among other uses.
These technologies will also change the skills required of human workers - the focus of this discussion paper.