AI roles now dominate tech market growth, according to the second study released by the AI Workforce Consortium titled “ICT in Motion: The Next Wave of AI Integration.”
Led by Cisco, the consortium is a private sector collaboration that includes industry leaders Accenture, Cornerstone, Eightfold AI, Google, IBM, Indeed, Intel, Microsoft and SAP.
Based on extensive job posting data from Cornerstone and Indeed between July 2024 to June 2025 across G7 countries including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, this latest edition arrives at a pivotal moment as AI continues to reshape economies, societies, and global governance.
Building on last year’s inaugural report, the 2025 analysis examines 50 ICT and specialised support roles, offering new insights into emerging AI-specific jobs, regional job creation and the skills workers need to remain competitive.
Key findings from the 2025 report include:
- AI Skills are Now Pervasive for Tech Jobs: 78% of the job roles analysed include AI skills, highlighting a shift in role requirements across the G7.
- AI Roles Dominate Technology Job Market Growth: 7 of the 10 fastest-growing ICT roles are AI-related including AI/ML Engineer, AI Risk & Governance Specialist and NLP Engineer.
- AI Ethics and Governance Skills Remain Critical: Demand for skills in AI Governance is +150% and AI Ethics +125%, reflecting the need for expertise at the intersection of technology, law, and ethics.
- Critical Technical Skills Deficit and Rising Importance of Human Skills: The skills deficit has reached critical levels in areas such as generative AI, large language models (LLMs), prompt engineering, AI ethics and AI security while human skills like communication, collaboration, and leadership are increasingly prioritised for responsible technology adoption.
- Surge in Specialised AI Skills: The AI landscape is quickly shifting from chatbots to agents, driving demand for specialised skills including AI security +298%, foundation model adaptation +267%, responsible AI +256% and multi-agent systems +245%.
- Accelerated AI Job Growth Driven by Tech Hubs: Silicon Valley leads with a 156% increase in AI jobs followed by London and Toronto, underscoring their status as global AI powerhouses – while Manchester, Lyon, and Vancouver are emerging hubs with over 70% AI job growth.
“As AI reshapes our world and work, people remain at the centre,” says Francine Katsoudas, chief people, policy & purpose officer at Cisco. “This year’s report makes clear that AI skills open exciting new doors, but it’s the combination of technical expertise and human strengths like collaboration and leadership that will truly shape a brighter future. We are committed to building a workforce that is ready for this new era of growth and to give people everywhere the opportunity to learn, contribute, and benefit.”