According to a recent report from IBM based on a survey of executives worldwide, it is predicted that the implementation of generative AI and automation will require workers to upgrade their skills. The report states that 40% of workforces will need to undergo reskilling in the next three years, potentially affecting around 1.4 billion people in the global workforce. The impact of generative AI is expected to be most significant for entry-level employees, with 77% of executive respondents stating that these positions are already experiencing changes. However, only 22% of respondents reported a similar impact on executive or senior management roles.
The report also indicates that the majority of executives (87%) believe that employees are more likely to be augmented by generative AI than completely replaced. However, this belief varies across different functions, with 97% of executives stating that employees in procurement are more likely to be augmented, compared to 73% for marketing.
To prepare for the future, IBM suggests several steps that firms can take. First, they encourage companies to redesign work by examining their operating models and finding more efficient ways to perform tasks, rather than simply automating existing activities. Second, they emphasize the need to invest in talent as much as technology to ensure the workforce is prepared for AI and other disruptive technologies. Additionally, IBM advises organizations to prioritize skills and consider how to enhance the technical abilities of their workforce. Lastly, they suggest giving employees more autonomy and meaningful roles by automating tasks, enabling workers to focus on their passions, and providing time for skills development.
These recommendations are aimed at helping companies adapt and thrive in the era of generative AI by proactively addressing the changes and opportunities it brings.
Part of the X (née Twitter) roadmap? Off-handed reply? A simple attempt to get a rise out of people? Time will tell. The one thing we can say for sure is that X’s owner responded to a post on the platform today foreshadowing the potential removal of the block feature.
“Block is going to be deleted as a ‘feature’, except for DMs,” Elon Musk wrote. “Makes no sense.” The post was a response to a Tesla fan account who asked whether there was any reason to use block instead of mute.
Regarded as a safety feature by many users, the suggestion that the block could be going the way of the service’s old verification system was greeted with backlash from concerned users.
“Twitter gives people a variety of tools to control their experience, including blocking,” the company writes on its help page. “Blocking helps people in restricting specific accounts from contacting them, seeing their Tweets, and following them. If you have been blocked by another account on Twitter, you can still block other accounts (including any that have blocked you).”
While Mute may still remain, the features are not the same. Block restricts fellow users from interacting with, viewing, and following an account. Mute simply hide your posts from their stream. Users are not made aware that they have been muted. Musk adds that the block feature will remain for direct messages.
Blocking has become an increasingly essential feature for many users, as they’ve seen an uptick in spam replies on their timelines. Earlier backlash also found some users blocking X Blue/Twitter Premium accounts, as the feature began to prioritize their responses over non-paying users. Many public figures have also relied on the feature as a method of removing harassment from their feed.
When — and whether — the feature is made obsolete remains to be seen. If Musk were to reverse course prior to implementation, it wouldn’t be the first time. A day after announcing plans to remove the service’s light-mode option, the executive reversed course, stating, “A lot of people have asked to keep light mode, so we will, but the default will be dark, and dim will be deleted.”