🧠 AI Literacy: Why It’s No Longer Optional for Organizations

OrcaPulse Newsletter | Responsible AI | Issue #106 |

By 2030, 92 million jobs will disappear.
But 170 million new ones will emerge.
And 59% of workers will need reskilling to stay in the game.

That’s not speculation — that’s from the latest WEF survey of business leaders across 803 companies, representing 11.3 million workers worldwide​

But here’s the challenge:

And that gap isn’t just about digital skills.
It’s about AI Literacy — across every role, every function, and every industry.

According to WEF:
🔹 86% of companies say AI and information-processing tech will drive transformation — more than any other technology.

🔹 The fastest-growing core skills?

• AI & Big Data

• Resilience, flexibility, and agility

• Creative thinking

• Curiosity & lifelong learning

• Systems thinking

• Leadership and social influence​

💡 Translation:
The workforce of the future won’t just need coders and data scientists.
It will need adaptive leaders who can think with AI — strategically, creatively, and ethically.

And yet, most organizations are still treating AI as a tech problem.

Let’s be clear:
✅ AI isn’t a department. It’s an enterprise capability.
✅ AI Literacy isn’t optional — it’s a boardroom and HR priority.
✅ Leaders need to create cultures where everyone speaks the same language when it comes to AI.

Through my experience with business leaders, I've pinpointed three essential steps to becoming AI-savvy:

Step 1: AI Literacy Training – Laying the Groundwork AI knowledge isn't just for tech experts—everyone from leaders to team members should grasp the basics of how AI functions.

Step 2: Ethics – Grasping Risks & Responsibilities AI doesn't exist in isolation—it affects fairness, transparency, and compliance. Delve into topics like bias and governance.

Step 3: Leadership – Weaving AI Literacy into Decision Making AI understanding should go beyond theory—it needs to be practical. Discover ways to incorporate AI into your business strategy.

🔚 Conclusion: Compliance Meets Competitiveness

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2025 report makes one thing clear: AI is no longer optional — and neither is the literacy to lead it.

But this shift isn’t just about transformation. It’s also about regulation.

Under the EU AI Act, AI Literacy is now a legal requirement for organizations deploying high-risk AI systems (Article 4). Leaders and teams must understand how AI works, its risks, and how to govern it responsibly.

🛡️ Takeaway
Whether you're preparing for compliance — or competing for relevance — AI Literacy is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a strategic and regulatory imperative.

If your team can’t speak the language of AI, you’ll be locked out of opportunity — and potentially out of compliance.

👩‍🏫 In our Executive AI programs, we focus on embedding AI literacy and governance into decision-making, team strategy, and business models.

Join me live for our next 30-min lightening lesson Why AI Literacy is Mandatory, Thursday, 12.30 PM GMT+1 April 3rd on zoom:

Because in a world this fast-moving, you don’t want to be teaching people how to use AI once the wave has already hit. You want them to be the ones riding it.

Want to go deeper, check out our flagship AI Literacy for Leaders course on Maven. Syllabus and enrolment details: