The energy industry thinks AI will actually increase the demand for human skills

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By Lewis Maddison
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Salary increases and job satisfaction are apparently on the horizon

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(Image credit: Shutterstock / LookerStudio)

Contrary to popular belief, it seems that AI will actually lead to a rise in job creation - at least in the energy industry.

The eighth annual Global Energy Talent Index (GETI) report from Airswift has found that over 90% of professionals in the sector expect AI to increase the demand for human skills, ranging from technical and IT to creativity and problem solving.

What's more, nearly half (46%) of all the 12,000 professionals surveyed across 149 countries believe that AI will lead to increased salaries too. Various other benefits were also highlighted by the respondents. 

Optimistic, but there are still concerns

Nearly three quarters (74%) believe that automation will increase their productivity, and a further 60% believe that it will improve their career prospects and offer better job satisfaction. 

Over half (54%) also think that their work/ life balance will be improved, as the technology will free up more of their spare time.

However, the professionals also voiced some concerns over AI in the workplace. 42% think it lacked a human touch, while 33% were worried about its misuse or poor adoption due to a lack of training. 30% also mentioned the risks it could pose to cybersecurity.

Furthermore, exactly half said their place of work have no AI policies in place, and 17% weren't sure if they did or not. 33% were sure that their employer had such policies - however only 52% of those confirmed that they covered vital topics, such as data protection and security.

The biggest barriers to AI adoption, according to the professionals, are the uncertainty over which AI tools to use and a lack of investment. However, there appears to be a general positivity about the technology, with 82% optimistic about its impact on the industry.

Those in the nuclear energy sector appear to be the most effusive, with 69% saying AI will lead to an increase in productivity over the next two years. Professionals in the oil and gas sector, though, had the lowest usage of AI in their roles (24%). 

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Lewis Maddison
Reviews Writer

Lewis Maddison is a Reviews Writer for TechRadar. He previously worked as a Staff Writer for our business section, TechRadar Pro, where he had experience with productivity-enhancing hardware, ranging from keyboards to standing desks.  His area of expertise lies in computer peripherals and audio hardware, including speakers and headphones, having spent over a decade exploring the murky depths of audio production and PC building. He also revels in picking up on the finest details and niggles that ultimately make a big difference to the user experience.