“I was hoping you’d tell me”: Companies demand AI literacy for hiring but can’t define what it means

The job market has developed a new prerequisite that’s leaving many candidates scratching their heads: AI literacy. As artificial intelligence tools become mainstream business resources, employers across industries are weaving AI skills into job descriptions—even for roles that seem far removed from technology. However, what exactly constitutes “AI literate” remains frustratingly undefined, creating confusion for job seekers and hiring managers alike.

This ambiguity became apparent to Taylor Tucker, a 30-year-old former project manager, when she applied for a senior business analyst position at Disney. Despite having used generative AI—artificial intelligence that creates new content like text, images, or code—for various projects including budgeting for her events business and crafting marketing campaigns, a recruiter dismissed her AI experience as a “tough sell.” Tucker’s confusion was understandable: if AI tools have only recently become widely available, how could other candidates have significantly more experience?

The rapid rise of AI job requirements

The numbers tell a compelling story about this shift. According to Indeed, a leading job search platform, mentions of AI literacy skills on LinkedIn job postings have nearly tripled since last year. Posts containing AI keywords have jumped from 1.7 percent to 2.9 percent over the past two years—a seemingly modest increase that represents thousands of additional positions requiring these nebulous skills.

The trend spans far beyond traditional technology roles. Nontechnical positions showing the largest increases in AI keyword requirements include product managers, customer success managers, and business analysts. Job descriptions now routinely mention AI capabilities for copywriters, content creators, designers, marketing associates, and even administrative assistants across companies ranging from T-Mobile and American Express to Wingstop and Stripe.

“There’s not some universal standard for AI fluency, unfortunately,” explains Hannah Calhoon, vice president of AI at Indeed. “But for now, you’ll continue to see an accelerating increase in employers looking for AI skills.”

How companies define AI competency

Different organizations are taking varied approaches to AI literacy requirements, creating a patchwork of expectations that job seekers must navigate. Some companies outline specific technical capabilities, while others seek candidates with curiosity and willingness to experiment.

Wade Foster, CEO of Zapier—a workflow automation platform that connects different software applications—has made AI competency a requirement for all new hires. To clarify expectations, Foster created a detailed framework categorizing AI abilities into three levels: “capable,” “adoptive,” and “transformative.”

Under Foster’s system, a marketing employee who uses AI to draft social media posts and then edits them manually would be considered “capable.” However, someone who builds an AI chatbot that can create targeted brand campaigns for specific customer segments would be classified as “transformative.” This framework provides concrete examples that help both hiring managers and candidates understand expectations.

Everlywell, an Austin-based digital health company, takes a similarly structured approach. For a recent vice president of business development opening, the company expects candidates to demonstrate how they would use AI to research clients, identify new customer benefits, improve products, and spot growth opportunities. The company even offers financial bonuses for employees who transform their work using AI and plans to evaluate all staff on their AI usage by year-end.

“Our expectation is that they’ll say, ‘These are the tools I’ve been reading about, experimenting with, and what I’d like to do. This is what that looks like in the first 90 days,'” explains Julia Cheek, Everlywell’s founder and CEO. For example, a social media manager candidate might describe using AI tools within design platforms like Canva or Photoshop to create content, then outline how these capabilities could accelerate content development for the role.

The interview evolution

AI discussions are increasingly becoming standard parts of job interviews. Helen Russell, chief people officer at HubSpot—a customer relationship management platform that helps businesses manage sales and marketing—regularly asks candidates about their openness to AI and their hands-on experience with these tools.

A recent HubSpot job posting for creative director specified that successful employees will “proactively test and integrate AI to move the team forward.” Russell emphasizes that the company wants to understand how candidates adopt AI to improve their productivity rather than seeking specific technical expertise.

“Pick a lane and start to investigate the types of learning that [AI] will afford you,” Russell advises job seekers. “Don’t be intimidated… you can catch up.”

Practical applications across industries

The real-world applications of AI literacy vary significantly across different business functions, but several patterns are emerging. In consulting, professionals might use AI to conduct research on thought leadership topics, analyze large datasets, or jump-start presentation development. Marketing teams leverage AI for content creation, campaign optimization, and audience analysis. Even administrative roles increasingly involve AI-powered scheduling, document creation, and data organization.

Ginnie Carlier, EY Americas vice chair of talent at the global consulting firm, frames AI as “a team member working alongside most employees.” EY’s job postings include phrases like “familiarity with emerging applications of AI,” which Carlier interprets as comfort with learning, experimenting, and “failing forward toward success.”

For consultants at EY, this might mean using AI to understand the latest industry developments or to analyze complex datasets. The emphasis is on adaptability and willingness to integrate new tools rather than mastery of specific AI platforms.

The learning mindset advantage

Not all employers are eliminating candidates without AI experience. McKinsey & Company, the global consulting firm, views AI skills as a differentiator that can help candidates stand out rather than a strict requirement. The company’s job postings deliberately use open-ended language like “knowledge of AI or automation” to accommodate the rapidly evolving nature of the technology.

“What’s more important are the qualities around adaptability and learning mindset. People willing to fail and pick themselves up,” explains Blair Ciesil, co-leader of McKinsey’s global talent attraction group. This perspective suggests that curiosity and adaptability may be more valuable than specific technical skills in the current AI landscape.

The reality check

Despite the growing emphasis on AI literacy, many companies are still figuring out how to effectively implement these technologies in their operations. Jennifer DeCesari, a North Carolina resident seeking product manager positions, recently encountered a job posting requiring “AI driven personalization and data platforms” experience. Having only worked with one company that launched—and later recalled—a rudimentary chatbot due to poor user experience, she found herself at a disadvantage.

“A lot of companies are waiting and for good reason,” DeCesari observes, noting that she believes very few people have substantial professional AI experience. “A lot of times, the first cases were not a good use of money.”

This disconnect highlights a broader challenge: many organizations are requiring AI skills before they’ve successfully implemented AI solutions themselves. Kory Kantenga, LinkedIn’s head of economics for the Americas, acknowledges that companies are still determining how to apply AI effectively and often rely on their workers to show them the way.

“I don’t think we’ve seen a definition shape up yet,” Kantenga notes. “It’s going to be different depending on the job.”

Preparing for the AI-integrated workplace

For job seekers navigating this evolving landscape, several strategies can help build relevant AI literacy. The most practical approach involves experimenting with widely available AI tools like ChatGPT for writing assistance, Canva’s AI features for design work, or AI-powered analytics tools for data analysis. The key is developing comfort with AI as a collaborative tool rather than seeking to become a technical expert.

Calhoon from Indeed advises job candidates to highlight any AI experience in resumes and interviews, predicting that AI will likely be a component in most jobs in the future. This might include describing how you’ve used AI for research, content creation, problem-solving, or process improvement—even in personal projects.

“It’s better to embrace it than fight it,” says Alicia Pittman, global people chair at Boston Consulting Group, the management consulting firm.

The path forward

The current AI literacy requirements in job postings reflect a broader transformation in how work gets done. While the specific definitions remain fluid, the underlying message is clear: employers want workers who can adapt to and leverage new technologies rather than resist them.

For Taylor Tucker, the realization led to concrete action. She has begun exploring online courses and certifications while planning to learn basic coding skills. “Right now feels like the right time,” she reflects. “By next year, I’d be behind.”

This sentiment captures the urgency many professionals feel about developing AI competencies. Rather than waiting for perfect clarity on what AI literacy means, the most successful approach may be to start experimenting with available tools and documenting how they enhance your work processes.

As the job market continues evolving, AI literacy will likely become as fundamental as computer literacy was in previous decades. The advantage will go to those who embrace the ambiguity and begin building experience now, rather than waiting for the requirements to become perfectly defined.