"At UST, a global digital services company with over 32,000 employees, Krishna Prasad, CIO and chief strategy officer, argues that the rise of generative AI presents an existential challenge. Expertise, historically UST's value proposition, has become commoditized. "Customers can now access baseline knowledge for free, anytime," Prasad said. "Clients won't pay for basic skills anymore. What matters now is problem solving." Instead of focusing narrowly on technical skills, UST has shifted its training toward cultivating adaptable mindsets. "We want to develop curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity - skills that aren't easily replaced by AI," said Prasad, stressing that traditional classroom-style learning is insufficient when the competitive environment demands experimentation and rapid application."
"Employees are given access to a range of AI tools such as GitHub Copilot, Google Gemini, and Cursor, and encouraged to experiment safely in R&D environments. UST built an R&D sandbox, an internal environment where employees can freely try out AI tools and models without risking production systems. This gives people the freedom to explore AI's potential without fear of breaking something mission-critical."
Generative AI has moved from curiosity to core capability in under two years, creating an urgent shortage of employees who can use AI tools in everyday work. Companies across sectors face demands for workers who combine technical familiarity with adaptability. Baseline expertise has become commoditized, increasing emphasis on problem solving, curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity. Employers are providing access to tools like GitHub Copilot, Google Gemini, and Cursor and building R&D sandboxes for safe experimentation. Technology leaders are experimenting with new training approaches and identifying core strategies for closing the workforce skills gap.
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