IU Incubator MESSCAI

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the labor market. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025¹, AI-driven trends are expected to create 11 million jobs while displacing 9 million. The impact on information and communication technology (ICT) roles is especially significant: a 2024 study by the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium² found that 92% of ICT jobs will be highly or moderately affected by AI. These changes highlight a growing demand for experts who can effectively work with and manage AI-enabled systems.

But what does it mean to be such an expert? Which AI-related skills and competencies are employers seeking? And how do individuals, especially students preparing to enter the workforce, perceive their competencies in this area?

Research in motivation and career choice, such as Eccles and Wigfield’s expectancy-value theory, has long examined why people pursue certain study programs or careers, particularly in STEM fields. Concepts like the self-concept of ability can provide valuable insights into how individuals develop confidence and competence in emerging areas, including working alongside AI. By further developing these frameworks, we can better understand what drives the acquisition of AI-related skills and how education and training programs can support future professionals.

Just as a math self-concept measures how capable someone feels in mathematics, this incubator suggests that a self-concept of AI ability should also be defined and assessed. Unlike math, where formal education provides a clear basis for self-assessment, AI spans a wide spectrum—from everyday use of tools like Siri to developing and monitoring complex systems. Recognizing this range is essential, as a person’s perception of their AI skills can strongly influence their decisions, opportunities, and willingness to work with AI as a co-intelligence.

The central research questions of this incubator are:  

• How can a self-concept of AI ability be defined and measured?

• Which influencing factors should be measured?

• Are there any characteristics such as gender, study program, age or prior professional experience that result in differences with regard to the self-concept of AI ability?

• What factors in particular strengthen or weaken the self-concept of AI ability?

• What AI skills and competencies are required by employers to ensure employability?

• What interventions and what type of AI usage in teaching strengthen the self-concept of AI ability in line with the respective competencies?

  
  

This project aims to shed light on how students perceive their own AI abilities and what shapes these perceptions. By identifying the skills that will be most valuable for future employability, we seek to bridge the gap between students’ self-assessed competencies and the expectations of employers. The findings will inform practical strategies to promote AI skills within curricula, ensuring that students not only develop the right competencies but also gain confidence in applying them. Ultimately, the research will help strengthen people’s awareness of their AI potential and prepare them to succeed in a rapidly evolving job market.

¹ https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/

² https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/m/ai-enabled-ict-workforce-consortium/report.pdf