A.I. COULD REPLACE CEOs---AND THEY KNOW IT

Artificial intelligence is transforming roles, from the entry level to the C-suite. But CEOs aren't just accepting this--they're embracing it.  

Forty-nine percent of CEOs believe that A.I. should automate or replace "most" or "all" of their job, according to a survey of over 500 CEOs from the online learning platform edX and the research firm Workplace Intelligence. This trumps the 20 percent of knowledge workers who believe the same, according to the survey.  

At first, this stark difference surprised Anant Agarwal, founder and former CEO of edX: "Frankly, the numbers almost seemed reversed to me." But he doesn't believe that there will be some mass exodus of CEOs; rather, he predicts a thorough transformation of the role--one in which CEOs could stand to gain if they are well-prepared.  

The CEO's job is composed of two parts, he says: the mundane and the exciting. Agarwal argues that A.I. tools will help replace the more mundane tasks to maximize the meaningful ones: creating sustainable revenue streams, introducing new products, inspiring employees, and more.  

This will be particularly helpful for CEOs of smaller companies, Agarwal says: "Small teams can begin looking much bigger, provided they're upskilled in the use of A.I. tools and technologies."  

The solution, therefore, is more learning and training, says Dan Schawbel, managing partner of Workplace Intelligence. "Executives who take steps to become proficient with A.I. will be better-equipped to make decisions that will position their companies for success in today's ever-evolving business landscape," he adds.

This competitive advantage is already clear to the C-suite--if a daunting premise. Seventy-nine percent of executives said they worry "if they don't learn how to use A.I., they'll be unprepared for the future of work," according to the survey. 

Their worries extend to the workforce, as well. According to the survey, CEOs and other C-suite executives believe that 49 percent of their workforce's skills will be irrelevant in 2025 and that 47 percent of their workforce is "unprepared for the future of work." Additionally, 87 percent say they're struggling to find candidates with A.I. skills. 

Some leaders have already taken steps to amend this: Forty-one percent increased their training budgets for A.I., and 39 percent are requiring their employees to learn A.I. skills. Looking forward, 72 percent of executives believe that their company should double down on A.I. learning and development programs over the next two years.  

Executives are also willing to sweeten the deal for skilled employees: Eighty-two percent believe A.I.-skilled workers should be paid more, and 74 percent believe they should be promoted more often. Even more, 82 percent of these C-suite executives believe that employees should be allowed to use A.I. to work multiple jobs.  

Still, there's room for improvement--and the issue is an urgent one: Thirty-nine percent of respondents say they'll likely quit their job within the next year for a position with stronger learning and development opportunities, according to the survey.  

"I see this as a massive opportunity for CEOs of small businesses," Agarwal says. "If they don't see the opportunity, but all the other CEOs do and jump on it and upskill their employees on this, they will lose."