Is Australia lagging behind in the digital era?

As the global workforce faces the challenge of upskilling in the digital era, businesses in Australia are reportedly struggling to keep up.

Nearly two-thirds of companies are having trouble keeping top IT talent and embracing emerging tech such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, the first annual Enterprise Cloud Index revealed.

Because of this, nine in 10 businesses are rushing to plug the talent gap by reskilling their IT teams. Skills in AI, machine learning, and blockchain are said to have the highest demand.

Despite fears of AI and automation taking over routine, low-level jobs, almost three quarters of employers said AI has made a positive impact on their business, the study from cloud computing specialist Nutanix showed.

The “positive reaction” to AI, blockchain, and cloud is a testament to how well Australia embraces nascent technologies, said Neville Vincent, Nutanix’s vice president for ASEAN, A/NZ & India.

In terms of cloud technology, for instance, public cloud adoption is predicted to grow from 50% to over 80% in the next two years.

The tech skills shortage could, however, hinder Australia from “capitalising on the boom markets they will bring.”

“AI and automation alone are tipped to be worth potential trillions of dollars to the Australian economy over the next 15 years,” Vincent said.

While the federal government is promoting digital literacy and STEM programs, it may take time for the country to reap the benefits, Vincent explained.

“[The] fact that organisations are embracing these technologies and training their workforce to get up to speed is reassuring,” the VP said.