The new generation of AI is here to stay – here's how to stay relevant in the job market

“The most educated workers are likely to experience the greatest degree of impact,” the management consulting firm said in a recent report.

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence capable of generating images, text, or other content.

This technology is expected to enhance productivity, reduce costs and create new growth opportunities across a wide range of industries.

AI technology may have been around for over 50 years, but since the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot in November 2022, generative AI has quickly become a topic of conversation among employers and employees alike.

ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot from OpenAI, is built on a large language model that helps users come up with answers to questions, improve articles or resumes, and even create images and videos. This has sparked debate about the potential for AI to revolutionize industries and work – perhaps even making jobs redundant.

With the rapid adoption of technology, experts generally agree that employees can keep up with the demands of the changing landscape by learning how to “upskill” or “reskill.”

Nearly three in five white-collar employees report that they use generative AI on a weekly basis. It has brought a level of improvement and automation to tasks that were previously thought to be immune to such disruption.

Oliver Wyman

Oliver Wyman conducts monthly surveys of more than 200,000 people in 20 countries to collect data on attitudes surrounding generative AI and other trends.

the Stady I've found that employers prioritize certain skill sets when it comes to keeping their employees on the same page.

Here are five skill sets to help you stay relevant in the changing landscape:

Analytical thinking
Creative thinking
Leadership and social influence
Artificial intelligence and big data
Curiosity and lifelong learning

Through its research into generative AI, the consultancy identified a gap between employees' and employers' perceptions of which skills would be the highest priority.

“While employees are focusing more on AI and big data training, employers are focusing more on analytical thinking,” an Oliver Wyman spokesperson told CNBC Make It.

In the age of artificial intelligence, analytical thinking is crucial because although technology can efficiently process and analyze data, it still requires human supervision to help synthesize results and come to informed conclusions.

Creative thinking is another distinctly human skill that people should prioritize. While Gen AI has the ability to efficiently generate new ideas, write articles or even make music, it is important to note that this ability is built on the data that the AI was trained on.

“Generative AI lacks the contextual nuance and ethical judgment that humans must apply in analysis,” a spokesperson for Oliver Wyman told CNBC Make It. It “lacks the human ability to make intuitive leaps, connect disparate ideas, and generate truly new solutions.”

Gen AI is expected to automate more “routine-oriented” tasks that used to make up an important part of daily work, leaving employees more time to spend on tasks that require more people or knowledge.

The research showed that tasks that require “people skills” – such as driving, or tasks that rely on knowledge or experience – will end up taking up the bulk of the workday.

As AI has profoundly changed work over the past year, we're also highlighting the 'current skill' with a notable rise in demand year-on-year: adaptability.