The pharma industry is seeing an increase in artificial intelligence (AI) investment across several key metrics, according to an analysis of GlobalData data. AI is gaining an increasing presence across multiple sectors, with top companies completing more AI deals, hiring for more AI roles and mentioning it more frequently in company reports at the start of 2021. GlobalData's thematic approach to sector activity seeks to group key company information on hiring, deals, patents and more by topic to see which companies are best placed to weather the disruptions coming to their industries. These themes, of which AI is one, are best thought of as "any issue that keeps a CEO awake at night", and by tracking them it becomes possible to ascertain which companies are leading the way on specific issues and which are dragging their heels. According to this method, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co are classed as dominant players in AI in the sector, with an additional 19 companies classified as leaders.

Advances in new digital technologies, the emergence of new competitors, new sourcing models, and changing customer expectations are dramatically changing the type of IT skills enterprises across industry verticals require. And, with new service delivery paradigms such as automation, agile, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) becoming mainstream, the underlying service delivery models to support the new talent demand profile are also undergoing significant changes. We expect technology themes such as data management and analytics, omnichannel customer experience, and cloud adoption to dominate near-term demand, and cybersecurity, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)-based application design, and agile delivery methodologies to become mainstream. So, what does this mean from a talent perspective? Below are four takeaways from Everest Group's recent research, much of which is detailed in a newly-released viewpoint titled Closing the Gap – The Future of IT Skills in the United States.