If you are an IT engineer, then the new corporate mandate from firms like Google and Microsoft could be a wake-up call for you. Generative AI’s involvement in the workplace can no longer be ignored, especially when the big names of the industry are proactively laying off thousands of employees in favour of automated AI tools. While most techies fear the possibility of job losses due to AI, the top corporate teams from these first have one advice – adapt AI or get left behind.
In recent developments observed at Google and Microsoft, executives from both firms are sending a clear message to their employees: proficiency in artificial intelligence is no longer optional but a core requirement for future success. This new mandate is driven not only by an intense push to boost productivity but also to maintain a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving corporate AI landscape.
Microsoft, Google insist on adapting AI
Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of the Developer Division, Julia Liuson, has been stating that “using AI is no longer optional.” Similarly, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has consistently stressed the need for his teams to become more “AI-savvy” to effectively compete with rivals. This perspective at the highest levels of both companies highlights a notable shift in corporate culture, where AI skills are becoming as essential as basic digital literacy once was.
In a move to enforce this new standard, both companies are integrating AI proficiency into their performance review systems. Google has already launched a new internal program, aptly named AI Savvy Google, and now expects its engineering teams to be fluent in using its internal AI coding tool, Cider.
Not to be outdone, Microsoft is reportedly considering adding formal AI metrics to employee performance reviews, making a direct link between AI adoption and career advancement.
Other tech firms also adopting AI tools
The trend extends beyond these two tech giants. Other major players like Amazon and Shopify are also implementing similar policies, creating a new trend across Silicon Valley. The idea behind this AI push is to allow engineers to get the mundane and basic tasks taken care of by AI, liberating time and effort for more creative and complex applications.
Certain firms have already started to enforce AI tools, the failure to comply with ends up resulting in loss of jobs.
