Next step in AI skills: Employers want impact over speed
| 4 Min Read
Artificial intelligence has changed how we work, but not in the way many expected.
The first wave of generative AI made it easy to produce content, code, and ideas in seconds. As these tools became widely available, the value has shifted.
The advantage no longer lies in generating output quickly. It lies in using AI to create something meaningful from it. And employers are already adjusting to this shift.
AI isn’t creating a talent shortage, it’s exposing one
Across industries, AI adoption is accelerating, but the skills needed to use it effectively are not keeping pace.
In the UK, 97% of organisations report at least one AI skills gap, and these shortages are already affecting business performance. More than half report gaps in technical capabilities, while others struggle to apply AI in a way that delivers value.
At the same time, AI is already embedded in day-to-day work. Around 88% of employees say they use AI, but mostly for basic tasks such as summarising information or drafting content. Only 5% say they are using it in ways that significantly transform how they work.
Essentially, there are plenty who use AI, but most are only about scratching the surface.
Turning AI into outcomes is the new skill
The most valuable professionals are no longer those who know how to use AI tools. They are the ones who understand what to do with them.
That means being able to apply AI to real-world problems, bring it into existing workflows, assess outputs critically, and connect technical capability to business or creative outcomes.
Work itself is evolving in response. Many core skills are still relevant, but the way they are used is changing. McKinsey’s research shows that most skills still matter but are now combined with AI in different ways, often alongside capabilities such as judgment, creativity, and critical thinking.
The question employers are asking is no longer if someone can use AI, but what can they achieve with it.
| Then | Now |
|---|---|
| Can you use AI tools? | Can you apply AI to solve real problems? |
| Can you generate output? | Can you generate measurable impact? |
| Prompting | Designing, building, and integrating |
Two paths into AI capability
Goldsmiths has long been focused on the evolving AI landscape and the growing gap between basic usage and real-world application. Goldsmiths offers two online MSc programmes designed to address this divide, each aligned to a distinct pathway into AI capability.
Online MSc in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Focused on building technical expertise, this programme helps students develop skills in areas such as machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing, alongside practical experience in designing and deploying AI systems. Delivered fully online, it places a strong emphasis on real-world application and industry-relevant projects.
- Develop machine learning models and intelligent systems
- Work with data pipelines and large-scale datasets
- Progress into roles such as machine learning engineer, AI engineer, or data scientist
- Address critical industry shortages in technical AI capabilities
Online MSc in Artificial Intelligence and Creative Practice
Designed for those who want to apply AI in creative and professional settings, this programme uses a studio-style, project-based approach to help students build a portfolio of AI-driven work across areas such as media, design, and digital production. No prior coding experience is required, making it accessible to learners from non-technical backgrounds.
- Apply AI across design, media, marketing, and interactive systems
- Develop a creative practice using AI as a tool and collaborator
- Build portfolio-ready work for emerging creative technology roles
- Respond to growing adoption, with around 83% of creative professionals already using AI in their work
Both programmes share the same aim: to help learners move beyond basic AI use and develop the ability to apply it in ways that create real value.
Final Thought
AI tools are now widely available. The ability to use them is becoming a baseline.
What sets people apart is what they can build with them, apply through them, and achieve because of them.
Goldsmiths’ two programmes, online MSc in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and online MSc in Artificial Intelligence and Creative Practice aim to raise the adeptness of using AI and leveraging it to create real world value. And that’s where real opportunities lie.