AI takeover risk: Singapore tops cities facing skills gap

As industries grapple with the global skills shortage in 2024, the cities most susceptible to an AI-driven transformation have been identified by software solution provider Nsoft.

Ranked first among cities at risk of an AI takeover is Singapore. This city boasts 13,412 open software roles and high-speed broadband of 285 Mbps.

Such infrastructure is essential for widespread AI implementation. As a pivotal tech hub in Southeast Asia, its dense concentration of companies and skilled workforce makes it well-suited for rapid AI adoption.

Second on the list is San Francisco, which, while having fewer open software positions than Singapore (2,418), hosts an extraordinary number of software companies at 6,971.

As the core of Silicon Valley, it is home to major AI pioneers, thus promoting AI development and deployment. Its robust broadband speed of 245 Mbps further supports this integration, and the existing tech ecosystem allows AI to infiltrate multiple industries.

Amsterdam takes the third position, attributed to its substantial number of open software job roles, amounting to 16,098, signalling strong demand for tech talent. Although it has fewer software companies compared to other cities at 1,221, Amsterdam's strategic emphasis on becoming an AI and data innovation hub offsets this discrepancy.

Addressing talent acquisition challenges in such a competitive market, Ivana Perković, HR Director at Nsoft, outlines ways to attract top-tier talent.

"If you're leading a team or scaling your tech department, attracting top-tier talent is essential. Beyond competitive salaries, companies need to create environments that appeal to the best in the business," she stated.

She provided five strategies for attracting top software talent.

These include hosting developer-centric events like hackathons or niche tech meetups to connect with passionate talent, engaging on developer platforms such as GitHub and Stack Overflow by contributing to open-source projects, and offering 'reverse interviews' where candidates ask questions first to build trust.

Additionally, creating a paid 'sandbox environment' for candidates to experience company tools and culture, and showcasing real tech challenges in job descriptions, can help attract developers who thrive on problem-solving.