After a careful hiring slowdown in 2025, employers are now actively hiring again, with AI skills taking center stage. New data from Upwork shows demand for AI-related skills has jumped 109 percent year-over- year, signaling that companies are no longer experimenting on the sidelines. They’re putting AI to work.
But what qualifies as “AI talent” is evolving.

According to Zane Ulhaq, Head of MENA at Endava, the baseline has fundamentally shifted. “Using AI is the new baseline expectation,” he says. Employers are no longer impressed by basic familiarity with tools. Instead, they’re looking for professionals who can apply human judgment within AI-powered workflows.

This means defining problems clearly, questioning AI outputs, spotting system errors, and making smart trade-offs. As Ulhaq puts it, “The differentiator isn’t who can prompt a system, it’s who can stand behind the result.”

That shift is echoed by Navin Narendran, VP Commercial MEA at Enterprise Minds, who argues that AI talent is now viewed in two distinct ways. “AI is not a function — it’s a discipline,” he says. “Every employee, irrespective of function, has to think and apply AI in their own role. This goes way beyond just GPT. It’s about leveraging various AI tools for visualization, workflow management and more — all within their own workspace. It’s hygiene.” At the same time, he adds, there remains demand for “core enterprise AI skills,” the deep technical expertise typically housed within a CAIO-led team.

Roy Baladi, Founder of Kanz & Jobs for Humanity, echoes that shift but frames it through the lens of productivity. Employers, he says, are prioritizing talent that can use AI to automate their own work. He cites an example of a marketer who can generate graphics and video, distribute content across platforms, and measure ROI with AI support as “worth more than a marketer who does everything manually.” The same applies to client support representatives who can instantly surface past FAQs in the right tone, or UX/UI designers who use AI not just to prototype—but to generate production-ready front-end code.

Meanwhile, Andreas Hassellöf, CEO of Ombori, says many employers are still assessing AI talent incorrectly. “Most employers are still hiring for AI talent the wrong way,” he says. “They filter for credentials and years of experience in fields where the tooling reinvents itself every few months. Nobody has ten years of experience in agentic workflows. The category barely existed two years ago.” Instead of general AI expertise, he says, companies should prioritize “high-agency people who learn fast and adapt faster,” warning that firms screening for the wrong signals will feel the talent shortage first.

In short, the real value now comes from amplifying what you can do with AI.

HUMAN SKILLS ARE BECOMING THE REAL DIFFERENTIATOR

As AI becomes part of daily work, human oversight is more important than ever. Ulhaq points out that judgment and accountability set people apart in an AI-driven workforce. “AI can generate outputs, but it cannot take responsibility,” he says. It cannot interpret nuance or decide when something is contextually wrong.

Baladi agrees. He says AI is great at analyzing past data—whether text, code, or design—but it can’t really grasp what’s happening right now. That’s why skills like active listening, empathy, persuasion, networking, and the discipline to learn new skills remain irreplaceable.

Hassellöf adds that as AI becomes stronger at technical execution, traditionally hard-earned niche skills are being commoditized. “Creativity, emotional intelligence, adaptability, critical thinking, ethical judgment — these were always important, but now they’re the differentiator,” he says. “What AI still fundamentally cannot do is read a room, exercise genuine empathy, navigate subtle context, or make moral calls in ambiguous situations. Those are the skills that actually drive business outcomes. And they are nowhere close to being automated.”

Narendran introduces another dimension: “Authenticity and vulnerability are becoming prized skills,” he says. “With AI at everyone’s fingertips, knowledge is often just one inch deep. To be authentic and appreciate true value in others is at the core of innovation. Vulnerability is at the core of trust.” In an AI-immersed future, he argues, both are vital for building thriving relationships.

The more powerful the tools become, Ulhaq adds, the more valuable it is to have people who can challenge, refine, and contextualize automated outputs rather than simply pass them along.

JOBS AREN’T DISAPPEARING, THEY’RE BEING SPLIT IN TWO

Across industries, AI integration is reshaping roles rather than eliminating them outright.

Baladi says most jobs today can be split into two parts: what AI can automate and what it can’t. In recruiting, for example, tasks like writing job descriptions, posting openings, sourcing candidates, screening resumes, and even video assessments can be automated—often better than humans. But spotting long-term potential, judging personality fit, and building relationships still need a human touch.

Narendran is more direct about the pressure AI will put on routine work. “AI will challenge mundane, repetitive jobs,” he says. “While it may help skill people up, the truth is it’s more likely to outskill you.” The competition, he adds, is no longer with AI itself but “with another human who knows how to leverage AI.” Roles involving analysis, number crunching, language, creativity, and visualization now require a fraction — perhaps half or even a third — of the human effort they once did. “Are you in that one-third?” he asks.

Hassellöf believes the transformation will be widespread and fast. “AI is not just automating routine tasks. It is pushing into creative and strategic work,” he says. “This hits every sector: tech, healthcare, finance, retail.” He estimates that up to 85 percent of roles will shift meaningfully, demanding new competencies around AI oversight, ethics, and integration. “The job title of the decade is probably ‘AI integrator,’ someone who sits between the technology and the business outcome, whether companies call it that or not.”

According to Ulhaq, experienced companies are reshaping jobs to focus on oversight and ownership instead of cutting staff. Once AI systems move into production, he warns, even small errors can scale quickly. That’s why companies want people who can own the whole process and its results.

HOW TO FUTURE-PROOF YOUR CAREER

For employees, AI fluency is foundational, not exceptional.

Ulhaq suggests demonstrating ownership by defining problems, delivering results, and reflecting on what worked. “Surface-level contributions won’t be enough in AI-augmented environments,” he adds.

Baladi emphasizes practical application. “Workers should take hands-on courses that teach them how to automate workflows and build AI-powered systems from the ground up,” he says. The real advantage comes not just from having AI tools, but from knowing how to use them to boost your impact.

Hassellöf is blunt about the approach professionals should take. “Skip the certifications. They are outdated before the ink dries,” he says. “Get your hands on the tools that are actually shipping right now, experiment boldly, and build a portfolio of real projects, not course completions.” He adds that this applies especially to managers: “If you don’t understand what these tools can do, you can’t meaningfully lead the people using them. That’s like managing a photography studio without ever having held a camera.” Ultimately, he argues, “The market rewards outcomes and flexibility, not titles and tenure.”

Narendran believes specialization is the final safeguard. “Future-proofing is possible only by specializing,” he says. “Do you have a one-sentence description of your core specialty — something where, using AI, your contribution becomes indispensable? If that one-liner isn’t compelling, you’re at risk.”

With demand for AI skills surging, the message from employers is clear: Automation capability opens the door. Judgment, adaptability, and accountability are what keep you indispensable.