Scaling with Vertex AI takes more than tech. You need developers, ML engineers, and AI-literate leaders to deliver impact.
February 4, 2026
Estimated 3 min read
When looking at scale adoption, businesses are looking to Vertex AI, Google’s Cloud’s unified AI platform. Vertex AI combines infrastructure, tools and pre-trained models, making it easier for enterprises to scale AI safely and efficiently. Having rapidly evolved to integrate Deepmind’s Gemini models, Vertex AI gives enterprises the ability to deploy generative AI on a scale. Allowing developers to deploy Gemini models and build differentiated applications.
But this isn’t just a technology challenge to solve, it’s a talent one. Developers, ML Engineers and AI-literate business leaders will be critical to translating your platform capabilities into measurable business impact.
This is where platform meets talent; understanding the tool is just half the equation. The other? Navigating a talent landscape where skills can be scarce and highly valued.
Vertex AI and Deepmind Gemini integration
Eddie Short, a Global Chief Data & AI Officer and former Fortune 1000 CTO/CDO and Big4 Partner, works with Salt on AI advisory solutions for business and boardroom leaders. He shares key insights on the heritage of Vertex AI, how it’s being used in practice, and the talent required to make it deliver real impact.
Vertex (Google Cloud) and Gemini (Google Deepmind) had quite different heritages. Now all Google AI is under Google. The two are integrated, meaning Vertex AI can be used to deploy Gemini models at scale, allowing developers to build differentiated apps which can process text, code, images and video content. TELUS built its generative AI platform, Fuel iX™, on Google Cloud to give its team members a choice of curated AI models, like Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini on Vertex AI, inspiring engineering excellence and enterprise-wide productivity.
Industry adoption for Vertex AI technology and talent
When looking at industry adoption for Vertex AI, we also see where talent is most in demand. Google Cloud has gained traction in Telecom, with companies heavily using technology, and Telco CIOs and CTOs choosing GCP for its speed, flexibility and integration across key AI building blocks.
Many Telco CIO/CTOs are choosing GCP and Vertex as they get access to capabilities that connect all the key building blocks, giving speed and flexibility. Microsoft Azure packages up solutions, which means less flexibility, and AWS mostly just gives you the building blocks, which often means more work, but more flexibility. For developers who like Google Stack, Vertex gives seamless integration to BigQuery, Gemini, and AutoML.
How do you hire AI talent when everyone is competing globally?
Despite Vertex AI’s rapid evolution, sourcing talent remains a challenge. Google has been catching up with Microsoft and Amazon, which have more mature AI platforms and larger talent pools.
Those with the full Vertex + Gemini + GCP skill set are in high demand and can choose roles with startups or fast-moving tech businesses.
The breakneck development at Google is delivering great capabilities, but the recent step change in integrating existing GCP AI capabilities (like BigQuery) and the Gemini capabilities, means very few people with the full suite of skills. Those with those skills can name their price and choose to work with startups and fast-moving tech businesses over more monolithic Banks and Telcos.
LinkedIn hiring data also shows us demand for Vertex AI and related AI skills surging across multiple industries, not just in telecom. Over the past year globally:
Telecom: 194% growth in professionals hired with Vertex/AI skills
Healthcare: 165% increase
Banking: 145% increase
Computer & network security: 140% increase
The talent pool is most active in India, the United States, Brazil, and the UK, with particularly strong demand growth in New York, London, and San Francisco.
Vertex AI in 2026 represents Google Cloud’s commitment to scalable, flexible, and enterprise-ready AI. Companies that invest in advisory support, talent development, and integration with Gemini models will see measurable business impact, while those navigating the talent shortage will need creative strategies to attract and retain the right expertise.
