While the total number of jobs posted at the end of 2025 was only about six percent above pre-pandemic levels, the number of jobs mentioning AI or AI-related terms increased by more than 130 percent – signaling a huge shift in the kinds of skills companies want from new hires according to new research from Indeed’s Hiring Lab.
“AI in today’s jobs will be like the calculator in math [class] — once students learn the core skills, they’ll absolutely use AI because it’s more efficient and accurate,” says Dr. Steven Schilhabel, who teaches Information Technology Management courses with UW Online Collaboratives. “Using AI frees up time to do more meaningful, higher-level work. AI doesn’t replace the expert — it augments efficiency.”
AI’s Impact on Tech Jobs
Growth was strongest in data and analytics job postings, with 45 percent containing AI-related terms, compared to 15 percent in marketing and just nine percent in human resources.
Indeed’s data aligns with changes tech professionals are seeing in the IT market. AI-related skills are appearing in more than 78 percent of IT job postings, according to the 2026 IT Career Outlook Report, and seven of the fastest-growing tech roles are AI-related, including AI specialists, AI product managers and machine learning engineers. The report estimates that these jobs will increase by 31 percent through 2034.
In addition, the IT Career Outlook report notes that 54 percent of tech skills will be transformed because of AI adoption – and these skills will be outdated in less than three years, furthering the need for working professionals to constantly keep learning. The consequences of not keeping up are stark – according to the report 45 percent of hiring managers in tech say employees with outdated skills could be laid off.
“If you stop learning, you won’t have the skills for a job three years from now,” “You don’t go backward when technology evolves — you adjust, adapt, and move forward.”
CompTIA, which releases annual reports identifying the top trends driving technology and business strategy, says the AI push will continue through the next 12 months. The organization estimates that 84 percent of business and tech professionals anticipate a significant or moderate increase in AI investments, with 94 percent saying they will invest in AI-specific training this year.
AI Literacy Key to Landing Jobs in 2026
Job posts remain flat or are declining in general, Indeed warns, but says there are small areas of growth. More employers are likely to focus on hiring for roles with AI skills, suggesting that working professionals need to develop and highlight their AI literacy to get hired in 2026 – especially in fields with soft hiring.
“You must first learn the core skills yourself, then wield generative AI to be more efficient,” Steve says.
And for those worried AI will replace humans completely, Steve offers some comfort: “[For example], AI helps financial analysts go through year-end statements more quickly — but it doesn’t replace the professional’s judgment.”
Having soft, or durable skills, is also increasingly important.
“Technical ability alone isn’t enough — communication and critical thinking make people employable,” Steve adds. “Hiring mistakes are rarely about technical skills. They’re about poor communication or reasoning.”
How to Build Your Skills in AI Now
For most working professionals, professional development may be the quickest way to learn how to use AI. While some companies offer continuing education opportunities for employees that could include AI literacy courses, others may not have the resources. If you’re looking for a way to learn skills you can immediately apply on the job, consider an online degree or certificate program.
UW Online Collaboratives and UW Flexible Option offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees, along with graduate certificates, in fields such as technology, business, and healthcare that address AI’s impact on the workforce. For example, students enrolled in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing’s RN-to-BSN program through UW Flexible Option will learn how to use AI to better care for their patients. AI can replace manual data collection processes, which improves the quality of care, according to course instructor Jill Saxton. AI can read scans and spot tumors or fractures, alerting a clinician to take a closer look at a patient.
“A lot of what AI is doing is behind the scenes, but it’s helping us with alerts and flagging things so that the nurse knows to look deeper or notify providers,” she says. “It could be life-saving, because if it’s something like sepsis, the sooner it’s discovered, the more likely our patients can get treated and recover.”
UW Online Collaboratives and UW Flexible Option offer courses in a variety of areas including business, technology, and healthcare that touch on AI, in addition to durable skills courses that focus on developing critical thinking skills and AI literacy to help students be even more competitive on the job hunt.
And the value of a college degree still stands, Steve says.
“The point of a four-year degree is teaching reason, logic, critical thinking, and communication — skills AI can’t replicate.”
Are you interested in furthering your education so that your skills can evolve with today’s changing job market? Email learn@uwex.wisconsin.edu for more information.