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Executives are spending on AI—but just 38% are actually training their workers on it

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Workers from the entry level to to the C-suite are prioritizing the adoption of artificial intelligence at work, but leaders don't seem to be investing in the tools to help their employees learn on the job.

A majority, 4 in 5 workers say they want to learn more about AI and how it can be used in their role, according to LinkedIn's latest workplace learning report.

Some 84% of global workers believe AI will help them get ahead in their careers, and 58% believe it will significantly change the way they work in the next year, the online jobs site finds.

Meanwhile, just 38% of U.S. executives say they're currently helping workers become AI-literate.

Nearly three-quarters of CEOs call generative AI a "top investing priority" and are spending on AI to increase profitability, innovation and security, per a recent survey conducted by KPMG.

However, more than half of respondents said they're spending more money on new technology than on training current employees.

Workers are taking it upon themselves to learn AI skills

Without those development opportunities, many workers are learning on their own. Roughly half of global professionals say they use AI in their jobs right now, and one-third say they've tested generative AI tools like ChatGPT, according to LinkedIn data.

Employees are motivated to leverage the technology to make their jobs easier and free up time, which they hope will improve their work-life balance, encourage them to learn new skills, and enable them to focus on the work tasks they most enjoy.

To that end, LinkedIn is making more than 250 AI courses available for free through April 5, with roughly two-thirds specific to generative AI. Courses are accessible in seven languages, including English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and French.

Some lessons cover foundational basics, while others are targeted toward certain fields (like "building generative AI skills for business professionals"). On the more advanced side of things are lessons for those who work with large language models, or tech professionals who need specialized training to maintain and train AI models.

Here are LinkedIn's most popular AI courses, based on the number of people who've engaged with them in the last month:

  1. What Is Generative AI?
  2. Introduction to Prompt Engineering for Generative AI
  3. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
  4. Generative AI for Business Leaders
  5. Learning Microsoft 365 Copilot
  6. Ethics in the Age of Generative AI
  7. How to Research and Write Using Generative AI Tools
  8. Prompt Engineering: How to Talk to the AIs
  9. How to Boost Your Productivity with AI Tools
  10. Artificial Intelligence Foundations: Machine Learning

The 'single most important' AI skill to learn

Not sure where to start? The "single most important" AI skill you need to learn is prompt engineering, MIT professor and edX co-founder Anant Agarwal previously told CNBC Make It.

The skill involves refining and inputting text commands for generative AI programs like ChatGPT. Learning prompt engineering can make you more effective at using the tool to write emails or put together PowerPoint presentations.

The skill takes just two hours to learn, Agarwal says, and can be learned via online platforms like Coursera, Google, Microsoft, EdX and LinkedIn.

Want to land your dream job in 2024? Take CNBC's new online course How to Ace Your Job Interview to learn what hiring managers are really looking for, body language techniques, what to say and not to say, and the best way to talk about pay.

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