Generative artificial intelligence tools are no longer free or negligible in a company budget, and this changes the outlook for your career.
The key development: according to Le Temps,
Context:
What this means in practice
- For large companies: Their employees retain full access to the best models, and therefore a lasting productivity advantage.
- For SMEs and their employees: Some SMEs are already turning to less expensive Chinese alternatives to get around the problem, which also changes the skills they need to master.
- For candidates and careers: if your employer restricts access to premium AI tools, your competitiveness in the job market increasingly depends on your ability to test and master accessible alternatives, not only the tool provided by the company.
This tension is emerging as Switzerland’s autumn salary negotiations are already in full swing, with significant gaps between union demands and employers’ offers.
Action this week: list the AI tools your employer currently pays for (ChatGPT licence, Copilot, or another tool). If you work for an SME with a tight budget, identify an equivalent free or low-cost alternative and test it on a real task this week, so you do not depend solely on the company’s budget.
LinkedIn post idea to adapt
“The cost of AI tools has exploded. Large companies absorb the bill, while SMEs do so much less. The result: a digital skills gap could emerge between colleagues depending on the size of their employer. What tool are you testing this week so you do not depend on your company’s AI budget?”