Mary Kent calls on countries to shift the development of talent and skills systems towards "lifelong learning"
2024-08-18
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China Youth Daily Client News (China Youth Daily·China Youth Network Intern Reporter Ma Ziqian Reporter Yang Jie) On August 15, the 2024 World Youth Development Forum Digital Development Theme Forum was held in Chongqing. Mary Kent, the ILO Asia-Pacific Skills and Employability Expert, quoted the metaphor of Ethan Mollick, associate professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an expert in artificial intelligence (AI) at the forum, saying that people are standing on the "uneven boundaries" to think about how to use AI to work - AI can complete some tasks, but some tasks can only be completed by humans.
In order to better use AI tools, Kent suggested that workers' core skills (including critical thinking, adaptability, teamwork, and continuous learning), professional ethics, and risk awareness are becoming increasingly important. Regulations cannot prevent the abuse of AI technology in all cases, so employers will attach great importance to employees who are trustworthy in moral judgment and high-quality work.
On August 15, Chongqing, at the 2024 World Youth Development Forum on Digital Development, Mary Kent, the ILO Asia-Pacific Skills and Employability Expert, delivered a keynote speech on the theme of "Generative AI and the Future of Work: How to Be Prepared". Photo by Li Zhengxu, a reporter from China Youth Daily and China Youth Network
"Of the 1.2 billion young people aged 15-24 in the world, nearly a quarter (269 million) are in a state of 'no work, no study, and no training'. However, young people are often the best candidates to adopt new technologies at work. Generative AI technology has been widely used by the public in the past two years. It can help improve productivity and accelerate innovative research, but it may also widen the digital divide and replace some occupations, which in turn affects young workers." In his keynote speech entitled "Generative AI and the Future of Work: How to Prepare", Kent shared an overview of today's young workers and the development of AI technology.
According to statistics from the International Labor Organization, there are currently about 427 million jobs in the world that can be enhanced by generative AI, and this number is likely to continue to rise. The organization found through research covering 436 different occupations in 189 countries: first, high-skilled occupations are more likely to be exposed to generative AI than low-skilled occupations; second, workers from high-income countries are more susceptible to AI than workers in middle- and low-income countries; third, compared with male workers, female workers are more susceptible to generative AI, so they need to be provided with necessary skills; finally, occupations are more likely to be expanded by generative AI rather than being "automated", which prompts workers to master the skills that help them adapt to and optimize technology.
"What we need most is timely, sustained social dialogue and a strong youth voice to ensure that AI is a technology that creates decent jobs, shares benefits equitably, and ensures that no country, group or individual is left behind." Kent called on countries to shift the development of their talent skills systems towards "lifelong learning" to ensure that workers have the skills to join and return to the workforce at any time throughout their working lives, thereby narrowing the digital divide and promoting job opportunities.
(Source: China Youth Daily Client)
