India is now ranked among the top five countries in the world with professionals skilled in artificial intelligence (AI).

As per the latest report by Linkedin, the number of profiles citing skills in artificial intelligence has grown by 14 times in the last seven years in India.

Over the past year, 43 per cent of the Indian workforce has witnessed AI use increasing in their organisations. This surge has prompted 60 per cent of all workers and 71 per cent of the so-called Generation Z professionals to recognise that acquiring AI skills could improve their career prospects.

Two in three Indians said they will learn at least one digital skill in 2023; AI and machine learning are among the top skills they want to learn, the report suggested.

The professional networking platform’s first ‘Future of Work: State of Work @ AI’ said India, Singapore, Finland, Ireland, and Canada have the fastest rate of AI skills adoption. The skills’ adoption extends beyond technology to a range of industries that include retail, education, and financial services.

The report analysed 25 countries showing the number of LinkedIn members who added AI skills to their profiles nearly doubled after last year’s launch of ChatGPT. It rose from 7.7 per cent in May-November 2022 to 13 per cent in November 2022-June 2023.

Emphasis on soft skills such as creativity and communications in the age of AI is particularly strong in India, the report highlighted.

Around 91 per cent of top executives recognise the increased importance of AI skills, surpassing the global average of 72 per cent.

The majority of the Indian workforce agrees with this sentiment as 7 in 10 (69 per cent) professionals believe that soft skills, such as creativity and problem-solving, allow them to bring a fresh perspective to work.

The report highlighted that software engineer (96 per cent), customer service representative (76 per cent), and salesperson (59 per cent) are the top professions having skills that can be augmented by generative AI.

On the other hand, oil field operators (1 per cent), environmental health safety specialists (3 per cent), and nurses (6 per cent) are professions with the least augmentable skills.