Is the tech skills gap a barrier to AI adoption?

The government is actively pursuing a strategy which places the UK at the'forefront of the artificial intelligence and data revolution', however, the £45 million to be allocated for 200 extra PhDs in AI and related disciplines will barely make a dent in this omnipresent issue. In order to progress towards an AI future, we need to value the human role in this process and ensure the right skills are in place to develop the best tech. By better preparing a shift towards data skills, companies can build an army of citizen data scientists' capable of better reacting and leading in a data-led world. Through empowering every member of the business to use and leverage analytics to amplify their abilities companies can develop existing talent to understand the data in a business context without investing in consultants to do relatively easy data tasks. Without the right workforce, organisations simply cannot proceed to tackle the technical challenges existing in a data-driven industry.