The narrative surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved from fears of job displacement to recognizing AI as an indispensable tool in the workplace. Today, being AI-literate is increasingly seen as a critical skill that employers highly value. This is based on Microsoft and LinkedIn’s “2024 Work Trend Index on AI Use at Work in the Philippines.”
According to Microsoft and LinkedIn’s report, AI’s impact is recognized at the highest levels of Philippine businesses. About 89% of Filipino leaders believe that adopting AI is crucial to maintaining their companies’ competitiveness, outstripping the global and regional averages of 79% and 84%, respectively.
Hiring preferences are shifting as well. About 70% of Filipino leaders now prioritize candidates with AI skills, aligning closely with regional and global figures. This demand has led to a 17% increase in AI-related job posts on LinkedIn and a 142-fold rise in users globally adding AI skills to their profiles over the past year.
But this doesn’t seem to pose a problem as the Philippine workforce is embracing AI in unprecedented numbers. The report shows that 86% of Filipino knowledge workers are integrating AI into their daily tasks, surpassing the global average of 75% and the regional average of 83%.
“Filipino employees are not just leading in Asia but setting a global benchmark in leveraging AI to enhance productivity, efficiency, and creativity,” stated Peter Maquera, CEO of Microsoft Philippines.
Challenges
However, there’s a notable reluctance among Filipino leaders to favor less experienced candidates with AI skills over more seasoned ones, with only 68% expressing this preference, compared to 71% globally and 76% regionally.
Also, 55% of Filipino leaders express concern about their organization’s lack of a clear strategy for AI implementation. Although this figure is lower than the global (78%) and regional (61%) averages, it highlights a gap between the demand for AI and the resources available to support its integration.
“Leaders who focus on agility and invest in AI skill development will build a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving talent ecosystem,” said Atul Harkisanka, country lead for the Philippines, LinkedIn.
Another growing concern is the rise of Bring Your Own AI (BYOAI) practices, with 83% of Filipino AI users bringing personal AI tools to work. This trend, higher than the global (78%) and regional (79%) averages, introduces significant privacy, security, and legal risks to organizations. This may pose a security risk, especially in the corporate setup.