94% of organizations, including consultancy titan Accenture, expect AI value amid upskill push

The Linux Foundation’s 2025 State of Tech Talent report reveals that 94% of organizations expect AI to add significant value to their operations, but success depends on having a workforce capable of leveraging AI effectively. The research emphasizes that upskilling existing employees in AI and open-source technologies will be crucial for navigating the changing job landscape, with 72% of organizations now prioritizing upskilling compared to just 48% in 2024.

What you should know: Organizations are rapidly expanding AI-specific roles while recognizing that human expertise remains the critical factor in AI transformation success.
• 70% of AI transformation success is determined by the people and processes supporting the technology, according to Clyde Seepersad, senior vice president at the Linux Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports open-source software development.
• Companies like Accenture, a global consulting firm, are significantly expanding their AI workforce, planning to grow from 57,000 to 80,000 data and AI workers by fiscal year 2026.
• Two-thirds of organizations report that AI has significantly changed how their teams operate, with developers increasingly required to validate AI-generated code.

Why upskilling matters: Training existing employees proves more effective than hiring new talent, delivering measurable benefits for both retention and speed.
• Upskilling is 62% faster than hiring new talent, while technical training programs are 91% more effective at improving employee retention.
• Organizations with open-source cultures report stronger employee retention and skill development, with 84% crediting open-source cultures with improving retention.
• Over half of organizations (56%) rely on upskilling rather than hiring or contracting to fill AI and machine learning skills gaps.

Job market transformation: AI is eliminating some entry-level tasks while creating new hybrid roles that blend technical skills with business understanding.
• Typical tier one tech support staffing has decreased by about 50% in some companies due to AI systems handling basic queries like password resets and billing questions.
• However, these same companies are repurposing customer-facing staff to help build and oversee AI models, creating new opportunities for those who understand both customer needs and technology.
• Future roles will be more blended, with professionals needing to understand business context before developing technical solutions.

Open source advantage: Companies leveraging open-source frameworks for AI adoption are seeing stronger results in both technology implementation and workforce development.
• 40% of organizations are using open-source frameworks, models, and tools for AI adoption.
• Since AI runs on open source, skilled open-source developers are positioned to benefit significantly from the market transformation.
• Certifications remain crucial, with 71% of organizations considering them important when recruiting new talent.

What they’re saying: Industry experts emphasize that smart leadership focuses on redesigning work rather than reducing headcount.
• “AI won’t wipe out half of white-collar jobs. But bad leadership might,” warned David Brudenell, executive director at Decidr.ai, an Australian AI company. “The smart move is to redesign work, not reduce headcount. Shift people to the things machines can’t touch: judgment, trust, creativity, relationships.”
• “No company ever shrank its way to greatness,” Seepersad noted, criticizing leaders who might try to “fire their way to corporate greatness.”
• “Your job tomorrow won’t be the same as yesterday’s. The playbook we’ve been using for the past 20 years won’t be the same, which will be uncomfortable,” Seepersad acknowledged, while emphasizing there will be “a ton of people providing context and making judgment calls using AI in their jobs.”