Future of Knowledge Work: Why AI skills are becoming essential beyond the IT department

A job description can remain unchanged while the work it describes begins to look very different. A finance professional may increasingly be expected to work with AI-assisted analysis. A recruiter could be asked to assess the output of automated screening tools, while in marketing, familiarity with AI may become part of the role even when technical expertise was never a hiring requirement. For employers, this change raises a question that is beyond technology adoption: how quickly can the skills of a workplace keep pace with changing expectations?

India’s hiring data offers an indication of how far those expectations are moving. According to Naukri’s World AI Day Report 2026, AI-related skills appeared in 1.59 percent of non-technology job descriptions in 2026, compared with 0.26 percent in 2020. The share is still relatively small, yet the nearly six-fold increase suggests that AI capabilities are beginning to find space in hiring decisions beyond technology teams. The report analysed more than 3,00,000 job descriptions and drew insights from nearly 27,000 professionals across 80 industries and 50 cities.

A more consequential change may lie in how employers define competence. Listing AI proficiency as a requirement is straightforward. Determining whether a candidate can use the technology to solve a business problem, recognise an unreliable result and exercise sound judgment is considerably harder.


The distinction matters as AI tools become part of the everyday flow of work. Generating a first draft, collating information or summarising data may take less time. The value of the person doing the work increasingly rests on what happens next, that is, interpreting the output, identifying errors and deciding what deserves to be acted upon. Familiarity with a tool can be acquired quickly. Applying it responsibly within a particular function requires a deeper understanding of the work itself.

The challenge is reflected in the wider skills outlook. The NIIT India Skills Gap Report 2026, based on a nationwide study of 3,500 respondents, identified digital and data capabilities among the most critical skills for the next 3-5 years. The report also pointed towards internal reskilling and upskilling as important ways for organisations to strengthen their access to talent.

For companies, the implications extend into workplace planning. Hiring specialists may address specific gaps, but it cannot be the only response when expectations are shifting across existing roles. Organisations must determine which capabilities their employees need, how those capabilities will be assessed and whether training reflects actual workplace demands. A course that introduces employees to AI tools may be a starting point. It does little on its own to establish whether they can use those tools effectively in a live business environment.

The change also has consequences for career progression. Professionals may increasingly be evaluated on how well they combine their functional expertise with new capabilities. Employers, then, will have to reconsider whether conventional job descriptions and credentials adequately capture what a role now demands. The pressure on skills development is likely to grow as adoption spreads. The organisations that respond well will be those that can translate technological change into clear expectations for the people doing the work.

At the Future of Knowledge Work Summit 2026, taking place on 19 November 2026 in Mumbai, workforce readiness will be part of a wider conversation about how businesses are adapting to AI and changing models of work. The question for business leaders is immediate: can their workforce develop the skills at the same pace that the work is changing?

Register now and find out!