Free Report: DataCamp’s The State of Data & AI Literacy Report 2024

Free Report: DataCamp’s The State of Data & AI Literacy Report 2024

DataCamp has commissioned a free report surveying 550+ business leaders on the rising demand for data and AI skills. Download now to uncover which skills employers are hiring for in the era of generative AI.

Keep reading for a peek at the report’s key findings or download it for free now.

Demand for data and AI skills is rising. What skills should you prioritize to make you more employable?

DataCamp’s report explores the skills landscape for some of the world’s leading organizations, focusing on the skills leaders value most and their current skills gaps.

Spoiler: data and AI rank high across the board.

Specifically, 86% of leaders believe data literacy is now vital for day-to-day tasks and 72% are prepared to pay a salary premium for employees with data literacy skills.

Going deeper, DataCamp sought to understand which specific data and AI skills leaders are looking for in their teams, uncovering:

• 84% consider data-driven decision-making a critical skill
• 83% look for employees who can interpret data visualizations and dashboards
• 80% value data analysis and manipulation
  

For AI skills:

• 70% consider the basic understanding of AI concepts the most crucial AI skill
• 69% emphasize AI ethics and responsible AI practices as a vital part of their team function
• 65% recognize the application of AI in a business context as crucial

And much more. Download the report for the complete insights.

How are leaders building data and AI skills? Five lessons leaders are using to create best-in-class teams

Leaders with mature programs report a notable increase in benefits across several areas: decision-making efficiency jumps to 90%, innovation to 87%, and employee retention to 81%.

Moreover, drawing on first-hand experiences from DataCamp’s B2B clients like Colgate-Palmolive, Rolls Royce, and Specsavers—dive into the best practices for effectively implementing successful data and AI upskilling and reskilling programs:

• Expand existing programs to include AI literacy: Broaden data upskilling initiatives to encompass AI literacy as an integral extension of data skills
  
  
• Widen the reach of upskilling initiatives: Extend the scope of training to include non-technical roles, enhancing organizational-wide AI literacy
  
  
• Focus on interactivity and personalization: Center learning programs around interactive and personalized training for effective skill development
  
  
• Leverage AI as a force multiplier: Utilize AI to enhance and accelerate the application of data skills across the organization
  
  
• Proactive change management: Emphasize positive reinforcement and change management to address workforce concerns about new technologies
  
  

For more detailed insights and recommendations, read the full report.

Beyond the workplace: Data and AI literacy as social safeguards

The report also explores how data and AI literacy serve as critical societal safeguards against humanity’s most pressing challenges—including online misinformation, bias from AI systems, and job automation.

What DataCamp found for each challenge:

• Online misinformation and disinformation: 73% acknowledge that AI literacy is pivotal in mitigating online misinformation and disinformation
  
  
• Bias from AI systems: 75% agree every employee should be trained in ethical AI practices to prevent biases that can fuel social injustices and distort data-driven decisions
  
  
• Job automation: 57% suggest that well-trained individuals are less likely to be affected by automation. Additionally, 75% believe that nations and organizations have a responsibility to prepare their workforce for these changes.

Download the Full Free Report

This article touches on a fraction of the findings. 

Download the full report to learn more about the present and future of data and AI literacy and how they might impact your career and organization.