New skill set emerges for successful GenAI use

In our recent study, HFS Horizons: Generative Enterprise™ Services, 2023, we identified the top three skills workers lack but will need to succeed when using GenAI in the next 12 to 18 months. Based on feedback from 104 enterprises actively exploring and deploying GenAI across the Global 2000, we created this chart.

Talent and skills emerge as key ingredients for the successful adoption of GenAI. When we delved deeper, these are the essential skills GenAI pioneers feel are lacking in their teams:

• Problem solving, adaptability, and critical thinking—as machines become better equipped to do work, humans must become better at identifying, challenging, and defining the work that needs doing. These skills enterprise leaders have identified as lacking in their teams must be addressed to deliver success with GenAI.
• Development skills like prompt and software engineering lie at the bottom of the chart. Prompt libraries are rapidly covering the need for prompt engineering, and software is starting to eat software engineering, tackling most basic software engineering tasks.
• A basic understanding of computers, data, security, and coding remains critical.
• To get the most out of GenAI, humans will have to exhibit more creativity, curiosity, and empathy.
• Less time for researching and reporting will be needed, as bots will take minutes rather than hours or days to gather data from various sources. New value will be created by applying your curiosity, creativity, and empathy to reports delivered.

The Bottom Line: GenAI will demand we extend our most human skills in a partnership toward better outcomes.

GenAI is still in the early stages of development. We already see evidence that it will bring disruptive innovation to our work and change how work gets done. Your success depends on your willingness to join with GenAI and similar technologies in partnerships where humans and machines work hand-in-hand to improve each other’s performance.