Talent platform Upwork Inc. (NASDAQ: UPWK) said job posts related to generative AI are up 230%. Meanwhile, IBM said nearly half of CEOs have hired additional workers because of AI, and a Capgemini report found that 74% of executives believe the benefits of AI outweigh the risks.
Job posts and more
Job posts related to generative AI surged on talent platform Upwork Inc., the company reported today. Posts calling for expertise in AI tools such as ChatGPT, Dall-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Jasper and others are up 230% in the second quarter compared to the fourth quarter of 2022. Upwork also noted its previous research that found that 49% of business leaders said they will hire more freelancers as a result of generative AI.
Upwork also said today it launched several generative AI-enhanced beta features powered by OpenAI technologies, including a job post generator to help clients create fully customizable job post drafts, an enhanced Upwork chat using AI, tips to help talent create proposals, and other resources, such as guides to integrating generative AI into business.
Upwork isn’t the only ecosystem firm focusing on AI.
Separately, Freelancer.com last month released research that found 75% of freelancers use generative AI in their work.
In addition, RecruitBot, an AI-powered hiring platform, announced an $8.2 million seed funding round led by Slow Ventures. The financing follows a previous $3 million funding round. RecruitBot provides a database of candidates, an outreach tool, and recruiting CRM.
Hiring because of AI
Nearly half of CEOs, 46%, have hired additional workers because of generative AI, and 26% say they have plans for more hiring ahead, according to a report by IBM with results released June 27. However, only 28% of CEOs have assessed the potential impact of generative AI on their workforces, although 36% plan to do so in the next 12 months.
The report also found that 43% of CEOs have reduced or redeployed their workforce because of generative AI, and 28% plan to do so in the next 12 months.
For the report, IBM interviewed 3,000 CEOs from more than 30 countries in 24 industries. The report was carried out in cooperation with Oxford Economics.
AI benefits vs. concerns
Despite risks such as copyright infringement and cybersecurity, 74% of executives believe the benefits of generative AI outweigh the associated concerns, according to a survey by IT services provider Capgemini. It also found that 21% anticipate a disruption in their industries, 40% of organizations across industries have already established teams and budgets for generative AI and a further 49% are contemplating doing so within 12 months.
Generative AI will lead to the emergence of new roles such as AI auditors and AI ethicists, according to 69% of executives. And the integration of generative AI into the workforce will require significant investment in upskilling and cross-skilling of talent.
For the survey, Capgemini surveyed 1,000 organizations interested in exploring generative AI in the UK, US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Spain, and Sweden. Ninety-nine percent of organizations surveyed had annual revenue of more than $1 billion, and 55% had revenue of more than $5 billion. Capgemini also conducted in-depth interviews with 10 industry executives.