MetriNote – Cisco, Others Launch Consortium to Study AI’s Job/Skills Impact

April 4, 2024 – Cisco announced that it has teamed with eight information and communications technology (ICT) vendors and six advisors in launching an artificial intelligence (AI) consortium aimed at addressing AI’s impact on the technology workforce. Along with Cisco, vendor participants are Accenture, Eightfold, Google, IBM, Indeed, Intel, Microsoft, and SAP. As a first step, the newly founded AI-Enabled Information and Communication Technology Workforce Consortium is evaluating how AI is changing or might change 56 ICT jobs and, as a result, the skills required for success. Ultimately, the goal is to provide practical guidance and recommendations for employers and employees on reskilling and upskilling for an AI-oriented workplace. Work undertaken by the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council Talent for Growth Task Force, on which Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins participates, as well as input from the U.S. Department of Commerce, served as catalysts for the consortium’s formation.