AI fluency is becoming a baseline skill. But do employees know what it means and how to develop it?
University of Phoenix research among 150 C-suite leaders found that 73% view AI literacy as a baseline skill, and 69% expect to incorporate it into performance management by the end of 2026.
Yet I continue to hear the same question from employees across organizations:
What does it mean to be AI fluent?
In an article I recently co-authored with Raghu Krishnaiah, COO of Phoenix Education Partners (PXED), The Reality of Developing AI Fluency for the Workforce, we define AI fluency as the ability to understand, evaluate and collaborate with AI and take accountability for the results of using it at work.
AI fluency goes beyond knowing how to use a tool. It is an approach to problem-solving that combines AI capabilities with human judgment, critical thinking and expertise.
Building that fluency starts with leaders. They must explain what it means for different roles, give employees opportunities to develop it and demonstrate it in their own work.
Here are four priorities for leaders:
1. Define AI fluency, don’t just mandate it.
Create an AI fluency rubric that describes what effective AI use looks like for each role and level. Use it to guide recruitment, learning, career development and performance management.
The goal is to help employees use AI thoughtfully in everyday work and take responsibility for measurable business outcomes. The Zapier example in our article illustrates how a rubric can establish clear expectations for job candidates, employees and leaders.
2. Understand AI value and use cases.
Employees need to assess whether AI is appropriate for a task, which tool and model to use, and whether the value justifies the cost.
That requires more than technical proficiency. Workers need to know not only how to use AI safely and responsibly, but also how to choose the right tool for the task, whether that means selecting Claude versus ChatGPT, and then determining which model within each tool is appropriate for the problem at hand.
3. Understand resistance to AI Adoption.
Most organizations treat the implementation of AI as a technical challenge, but it also a human one. What many organizations overlook are the fears, concerns and uncertainties employees have about using the technology.
Involve employees in deciding how work should change. As described in Bloomberg, Dropbox’s Chief People Officer led her department through an assessment of which tasks could be automated and which required human contribution. Giving employees a voice in workflow redesign helps surface concerns and identifies where AI can support their work.
4. Make AI fluency a visible leadership behavior.
Leaders must be continuous learners alongside their teams. They should share how they use AI, what they are testing, where it falls short and how they evaluate its results.
When leaders show their curiosity, they give employees permission to learn through experimentation.
How are you helping employees develop AI fluency in your organization?
Read our article and share your experience.