The Future Of AI In Education And The Workforce

AI in simple terms is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computers. Learning spaces will have to adopt more AI driven tools to create the types of candidates needed for the future.

We are at the beginning of the AI age. Many of the old ways of working we have known up until now will change, and the pace of innovation is only increasing. This is particularly true with the arrival of generative AI, which doesn’t simply analyse large data sets but is a tool people can use to create entirely new ways of productivity. 

In the same WEF report, the following job trends are already evident in South Africa:

Adopting new technologies is a priority for many organizations

Digital adoption drives innovation and competitive advantage. Companies can streamline processes and deliver products or services more efficiently than before, freeing up valuable time and resources for more impactful activities. 

These improvements can bring positive financial benefits to the bottom line. Not only that, new technologies can help organizations better understand customer preferences, personalize interactions, and deliver a superior customer experience.

Organizations are expanding digital access within their operations

By broadening digital access, organizations can extend their reach and tap into new markets. Digital technologies enable businesses to transcend geographical limitations.

Also, modern customers expect it. In today’s digital age, customers expect seamless and convenient access to products and services. Digital access can also improve operational efficiency by automating processes and enabling real-time collaboration. 

Most new jobs are technology driven

In a digital economy, organizations need access to workers with both creative thinking and analytical thinking skills to help them with innovation and problem-solving. Creative thinking is essential for generating new ideas, identifying opportunities, and fostering innovation. 

When combined with powerful modern tools like AI, businesses benefit from the multiplier effect. Technology-enabled roles help us perform tasks faster, more accurately, and with fewer errors compared to manual roles, resulting in higher output and cost savings for businesses.

Barriers to growth include skills gaps of digitally literate people

That said, there aren’t yet enough of these types of workers for the new economy. Firms are crying out for digitally savvy graduates, with 44% of South African firms surveyed for the WEF study calling it an acute shortage. The system cannot produce them fast enough. The job market increasingly demands digital skills across various industries. 

Aggressive digital adoption in schools must ensure that students are equipped with the necessary digital competencies required for the wave of new tech-driven employment opportunities. 

Graduates need to be future ready and upskilled to do things they have never done before. Changing an education model that has been in place for many decades will not be easy, but it must be done globally competitive students are to thrive in the future.

What Adobe can do to help

Adobe is a world class software firm with a range of innovative products and has been a popular choice for designers for a long time. Like many companies around the world, Adobe has fully embraced the AI revolution and has launched the following tools:

Adobe Firefly

Generative Fill is a new suite of AI powered capabilities powered by Adobe Firefly. Adobe’s powerful generative AI technology adds metadata to its images and is trained on their own stock images protecting creators rights. 

Adobe surprised everyone by revealing the new Generative Fill feature in Adobe Photoshop. Unlike other Photoshop capabilities, Generative Fill enables you to use text prompt to generate an image. This is a total gamechanger.

Adobe Document Cloud

Document, forms and workflows are becoming more digital and with AI it’s even easier to create and manage them. Adobe Sensei powers features in Document Cloud, so you can streamline all your form based processes using auto-detect features to reduce time spent on building complex forms from scratch. No longer are high end development skills required to digitize.

About Learning Curve  

As the only Adobe Platinum partner in sub-Saharan Africa, Learning Curve has deep experience developing solutions around Adobe technology. It has brought state of the art software to Africa for our people to compete at a global level.

As Adobe rolls out more AI-enabled tools, Learning Curve will be there to help empower businesses to improve their digital processes through Adobe’s world class enterprise suite of products. 

The bottom line

AI is not going away. We stand on the edge of a new period in human productivity. 

Technology-driven jobs require continuous learning and adaptability due to the rapid pace of technological advancements. With the help of Learning Curve, people in these fields can stay updated with the latest trends, tools, and techniques to remain competitive as the race towards an AI future plays out.

To learn more contact Learning Curve on +27 (21) 790 4170  | +27 (11) 468 4575  or visit our website www.learningcurve.co.za.