AI Skills Shortage Deepens as Enterprise Demand Grows Faster Than Talent Supply

The shortage of skilled professionals in artificial intelligence is becoming a major concern for enterprises, as organizations race to adopt the technology without a matching increase in qualified talent. The latest Harvey Nash Digital Leadership report, released by Nash Squared in May, highlights a sharp rise in demand for AI skills across industries—faster than any previous tech trend tracked in the last 16 years. 

Based on responses from over 2,000 tech executives, the report found that more than half of IT leaders now cite a lack of AI expertise as a key barrier to progress. This marks a steep climb from just 28% a year ago. In fact, AI has jumped from the sixth most difficult skill to hire for to the number one spot in just over a year.

Interest in AI adoption continues to soar, with 90% of surveyed organizations either investing in or piloting AI solutions—up significantly from 59% in 2023. Despite this enthusiasm, a majority of companies have not yet seen measurable returns from their AI projects. Many remain stuck in early testing phases, unable to deploy solutions at scale. 

Numerous challenges continue to slow enterprise AI deployment. Besides the scarcity of skilled professionals, companies face obstacles such as inadequate data infrastructure and tight budgets. Without the necessary expertise, organizations struggle to transition from proof-of-concept to full integration.

Bev White, CEO of Nash Squared, emphasized that enterprises are navigating uncharted territory. “There’s no manual for scaling AI,” she exp

[…]
Content was cut in order to protect the source.Please visit the source for the rest of the article.