Major changes are underway in the Thai labor market as Artificial Intelligence (AI) takes on an increasingly important role. The Work Trend Index 2024 study by Microsoft and LinkedIn reveals that over 92% of Thai workers have adopted AI in their work, exceeding the global average of 75%.

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AI is not just a trend, it’s a reality. Dhanawat Suthumpun, Managing Director of Microsoft Thailand, stated, “Generative AI is now widely accepted and used in the workplace…making it imperative for executives to respond to this phenomenon.”

The study found that 81% of Thai employees bring their own AI (BYOAI) to enhance efficiency, reduce work hours, and create new work. Meanwhile, 91% of executives view AI as essential for business competitiveness, but 64% are still concerned about AI implementation plans, particularly in measuring productivity gains from AI use.

This trend of AI adoption in the workplace may stem from the workload burden on employees. 68% of global workers report struggling to complete tasks on time, making AI a time-saving tool that boosts creativity and allows for greater focus on essential tasks.

On the executive side, 91% of Thai executives believe their companies need to adopt AI innovation to maintain market competitiveness, surpassing the global average of 79%. However, over 64% of Thai executives are concerned about the lack of clear plans and visions for AI implementation, slightly higher than the global average of 60%. Many executives also face challenges in quantifying the results of AI usage in numerical or monetary terms, a hurdle that executives and organizations need to overcome.

Dhanawat told TheReporterAsia, “The Thai language factor, along with the complexity of Thai-English mixed language culture, confuses AI. But we have a team dedicated to improving the accuracy of Thai language in AI for 365.”

The study also found that “Power Users” or high-level AI users in Thailand can reduce work time by up to 30 minutes per day or 10 hours per month! They start and end their day with AI at 86%, but only 28% receive information about AI from their organizations, and 22% receive training.

Furthermore, the structure supporting AI usage in Thai organizations differs significantly from global data. Only 28% of AI Power Users in Thailand have access to information or updates about the role of AI in their work from their departments, lower than the global average of 40%. In terms of learning and training, only 22% of high-level AI users in Thailand receive opportunities for additional AI skill training from their organizations, compared to the global average of 42%.

AI skills: Essential in the modern labor market

AI skills have become sought-after by employers. 74% of Thai executives are reluctant to hire individuals without AI skills, exceeding the global average of 66%, and 90% prefer candidates with AI skills over experience, surpassing the global average of 71%. The demand for AI labor has also increased by 17% in the past two years, especially in creative fields like content writing, graphic design, and marketing management.

Dhanawat added, “We need to start using AI as a tool to help us in our work and daily lives…Organizations should set clear goals for using AI to solve problems and unlock obstacles in employees’ work.”

In terms of hiring trends, the survey indicates that 55% of global executives are concerned about facing a shortage of skilled labor this year, particularly in cybersecurity, engineering, and creative design, which are the most concerning areas.

Data from LinkedIn users, both at the organizational and individual levels, also reveals that AI skills in Thailand are below the global average, but interest in developing these skills has increased significantly. AI courses on LinkedIn Learning are highly popular.

Data from late last year found that the number of LinkedIn members worldwide who included information about AI skills like ChatGPT and Copilot in their profiles increased by 142 times.

In the past two years, it was found that job postings on LinkedIn that mentioned AI-related skills received 17% more applicants.

Among the top 10 job positions that added the most information about AI skills, only two were directly in the technology field (Front-End Developer and Web Developer), while the top three were in content writing, graphic design, and marketing.

Copilot: Microsoft’s secret weapon

Microsoft launched new features in Copilot for Microsoft 365 to facilitate AI usage in the workplace, such as interactive systems, command suggestions, and command writing assistance.

Copilot will interact more with users by suggesting the next set of commands or asking additional questions to better respond to user commands and create optimal work.

Copilot’s new chat screen will offer suggestions based on the current situation or recent user activities, such as notifications like “You missed the sales team meeting on Tuesday. Read the summary here,” and highlighting important emails for users to follow up on.

Copilot’s command input field will have auto-complete to improve user command results. Additionally, there’s a feature to help write commands that can expand basic commands into more complete and detailed ones, using data from meetings,documents, and emails of each user.

New updates for Copilot Lab allow employees to write, share, and manage pre-written commands tailored to the specific needs of each team.

Meanwhile, LinkedIn offers over 600 AI training courses to help workers confidently advance in their careers. Recently,they opened 50 free AI courses to all LinkedIn users until July 8th.

LinkedIn also has an AI-powered course recommendation service that selects and presents content relevant to each user’s interests and career path, along with conversational learning with AI.

For LinkedIn Premium users, there’s an AI-powered summary feature in the LinkedIn Feed that reveals information,suggests new ideas, and highlights interesting activities.

LinkedIn’s AI tools allow you to assess your suitability for job positions within seconds based on your experience and skills. You can also request profile writing tips and guidance on developing essential skills.

In conclusion, AI is rapidly transforming the future of work in Thailand. Organizations and employees need to adapt to seize opportunities and address challenges, particularly by developing AI skills to meet the demands of the evolving labor market.

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