Employers Anticipate AI Proficiency—Even If It's Not Explicitly Stated in Job Ads

Even if the role description you're eyeing omits AI skills, your future manager will probably still anticipate that you have them.

Recent insights from the job platform Ladders highlight that while AI-specific roles have surged threefold since 2021, their explicit mention in job ads has lessened.

This trend underscores a shift towards technology being seen as a standard competency rather than a unique differentiator, explains Marc Cenedella, Ladders' CEO.

He equates this change to how job listings have stopped specifying the need for Microsoft Office proficiency.

The Decline of AI Mentions Across Various Sectors

An analysis across a dozen job sectors found that AI mentions have steadily dropped. In design and UX roles, this went from 56.7% in 2021 to 44.6% by 2025, with similar trends in product management.

Even roles in software engineering reported a decline in AI references, decreasing from 53.5% to 45.8% over four years, despite the rise in automated coding tools.

Potential Resurgence of AI Mentions

Cenedella hints that if unique AI tools become prevalent in more fields, mentions might rise again by 2026 or 2027. Such a development could mean roles in sectors like sales and semiconductors will demand specific AI expertise.

Growing AI Influence Beyond Tech Roles

The reduced occurrence of AI in listings doesn't signal waning interest. Ladders notes an increase to 525,000 leadership and executive roles referencing AI by 2025, up from 213,000 in 2021.

Non-technical areas—finance, project management, and more—are rapidly integrating AI skills.

Technological Pace and Industry Expectations

AI-centric jobs like engineering are booming, growing from 2.1 million in 2021 to 6.7 million by 2025.

Regardless of AI mentions in job posts, employers will likely expect AI competency, likening it to a fundamental requirement, as per Agur Jõgi, Pipedrive's CTO.

Understanding AI's Impact on Your Role

Jõgi urges professionals to grasp AI's transformative influence on their fields, which enables them to adapt swiftly with industry changes.

By recognizing how peers use AI, one can refine relevant skills.

For those resistant to AI, catching up with tech-savvy colleagues could mean longer work hours.

Early AI adopters who initially boost productivity may lose their edge unless they cultivate new advantages, Jõgi advises.