Facing the Future: U.S., U.K. and Canadian citizens call for a unified skills strategy for the AI age

Representing the views of 10,000 adults in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., and including interviews with chief human resources officers at 10 large corporations based in these three countries, this study from Northeastern University and Gallup measures perceptions of the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs, as well as the education choices respondents would make in response and their confidence in higher education, government and business to plan for widespread AI adoption.

Key findings:

• In all three countries, few see higher education as doing a good job preparing current or future workers for the workforce.
• Most of the adults in these countries would not look to higher education as the first source for new skills and training to respond to AI adoption.
• Nearly all, in all three countries surveyed, see the value of lifelong learning.
• Many in all three countries question the value of a degree from a traditional college or university.

Download the report to discover new approaches to equip students with the skills needed for a better-prepared global workforce. The challenge inherent in preparing the workforce for the AI disruption while allowing them to continue adding to their skills in the future requires coordination on the part of higher education, business and government. These findings serve as the starting point for this imperative initiative.