PSCI, a Philadelphia 100 firm, reports gap between AI adoption and talent
The IT staffing firm said employers across several industries are struggling to find AI professionals with hands-on experience.
PSCI, an IT staffing and consulting firm headquartered at 2 Righter Pkwy 110, Wilmington, DE 19803, said employers are having a harder time finding artificial intelligence professionals who can actually do the work, not just describe it.
The company, which has been named to the Philadelphia 100 list of fastest-growing privately held regional companies for three consecutive years, said demand for AI skills has grown faster than the supply of candidates with applied technical and operational experience. That demand has spread across healthcare, financial services, logistics and manufacturing, according to the firm, and many employers report trouble telling the difference between textbook knowledge and hands-on project work when they review applicants.
PSCI said the problem is made worse by tools, frameworks and compliance rules that keep changing, which leaves companies without steady definitions for the roles they are trying to fill. Employers are increasingly looking for people who can work across data science, software engineering and business operations so AI systems can be deployed responsibly and maintained over time.
"Organizations are encountering a gap between the pace of AI adoption and the availability of professionals with the appropriate technical and operational experience," said Sean O'Neill, President and CEO of PSCI.
In response, the firm said, many employers are building internal training programs, setting up mentorships and staffing projects in phases rather than competing for a small outside talent pool. PSCI also said requirements tied to data privacy, model transparency and regulatory compliance are shrinking candidate pools further and stretching out hiring timelines, particularly in regulated industries that handle sensitive information.
PSCI was founded in 1993.