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According to Goncalves, most businesses will need people who have a solid foundation in what might be called tech literacy and data and analytics.

“In a world where so much data is being produced all the time, we need employees who are able to look at the data, analyze it and draw insights. This cuts across multiple industries,” Goncalves says. A basic knowledge of AI and how it can drive productivity is now quickly emerging as a must-have skill, he adds.

While many of us will have to upskill, or learn new skills to keep up, other roles will require reskilling, or learning an entirely new group of competencies. The World Economic Forum’s found that 85% of employers surveyed said upskilling their workforce was a priority, and 70% expect to hire staff with new skills.

In addition to technology-forward knowledge, Goncalves says teamwork, collaboration, communication, creative problem-solving and leadership will be critical, too. These attributes, traditionally known as soft skills, are what Goncalves terms “durable power skills.”

“How do you work in an environment where the team is spread throughout the country or the world, and you don’t see them? If you’re a leader, how do you lead a team that’s operating remotely? Good communication and other skills like these are , though many companies struggle to develop them,” Goncalves says. 

While many people worry AI will make their jobs obsolete, the irony is that it’s precisely AI that can potentially help workers evolve and grow — and find more satisfaction in their work.

“The reality is that most employers don’t have insight into what their employees are capable of,” Goncalves notes.

Artificial intelligence, however, can analyze skills gaps and performance for each employee and then generate training materials and a personalized learning path customized to that person’s needs, aptitudes and learning style. AI, in other words, can help with upskilling.

“It can also infer things based on the behavior demonstrated in those unstructured datasets,” Goncalves continues. “It can identify skills and proficiency, and from there, it can recommend the best next action.”

Such action, he adds, can take various forms. Depending on the tool, the person and the employer objective, AI might:

• Help a worker discover what they’re already good at (even if their resumé doesn’t yet show it)
• Pinpoint the skills an employee needs to develop to reach their next goal
• Provide personalized learning plans that save an individual time so they can focus on what matters

Probably no one will be sorry to see one-size-fits-all training disappear, especially if customized learning also encourages employers to hire and promote internally to fill roles.

“Traditionally, managers consider people only for one functional area, but AI can help unearth transferable skills that could be very valuable for another role,” explains Goncalves. “The outcome for the company [could then become] that they’re truly hiring internally and retaining more employees while effectively closing the skills gap.”

Companies are likely to get an enthusiastic reception from their staff if they present more and better upskilling or reskilling opportunities. According to the COI, 86% of workers say they are actively seeking chances to develop their skills, and career-development options are directly linked to restoring workers’ sense of control over their career trajectory. Nearly 90% of employees with learning opportunities feel they have autonomy at their current job, and nearly as many say they feel in control of their professional future.

The numbers were far lower for those who worked somewhere without the chance to get more training. For these workers, says Goncalves, “if they want to grow, the only option they have is to go find a job somewhere else.”

That “talent leakage,” as Goncalves calls it, can be stopped, or at least reduced, by giving a feeling of control back to employees — something AI can help with. With the right tools, employees can gain clarity on which of their skills relate to their current job or another position in the company.

Goncalves explains: “It allows agency for the employee to own conversations with their manager. They can proactively approach their manager to say, ‘Give me a shot at this special project,’ or ‘Let me lead this project where I can show my leadership and communication skills with my peers.’ Then AI recommends a learning path or a skills development plan and that becomes the GPS for that individual to navigate all the learning they would otherwise have to figure out themselves.”

When you understand how your existing skills connect to emerging jobs — and you know exactly what to learn next — you take control of your future. AI can make that path clearer, faster and more personalized.

AI, in other words, isn’t just part of the future. It can be a pathway to preparing for it.

Learn more about the 2025 Career Optimism Index® study.

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