22, September 2026
Suprise Fakude
AI is becoming part of everyday work. Employees are using it to research, analyse information, create content, prepare reports and automate routine tasks.
For Learning and Development teams, this creates a new challenge. Providing employees with access to AI tools is one thing. Making sure they know how to use them effectively, responsibly and in ways that improve their work is another. That is why AI fluency is increasingly becoming an L&D priority.
AI Fluency Is More Than Knowing How to Prompt
Early conversations about workplace AI often focused on prompting: how to ask tools such as ChatGPT better questions and get better responses. That remains useful, but AI capabilities are moving quickly.
Employees may now encounter AI that can analyse data, work across different applications, automate parts of a process and, through AI agents, complete multi-step tasks towards a defined goal.
AI fluency therefore needs to go beyond knowing what to type into a chatbot. Employees need to understand what AI can and cannot do, how to evaluate its outputs, when information needs to be verified and when a human should remain involved in a decision. For L&D teams, this changes the skills conversation from “Can our employees use AI?” to “Can our employees use AI well?”
Different Roles Need Different AI Skills
One challenge for L&D leaders is that AI fluency will not look the same across an organisation. A marketing professional might use AI for research, content development and customer insights. Someone in finance may use it to support reporting, reconciliation or forecasting. HR teams may apply AI to workforce data, employee queries or onboarding processes.
Managers may need another set of capabilities altogether: understanding where AI can improve a process, assessing risk and deciding where human judgement should remain. This shift is part of a wider transformation in workplace skills. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies AI and big data among the fastest-growing skills, while technological literacy is also expected to grow in importance.
For L&D teams, this means organisations may need to move away from one-size-fits-all AI training. Instead, training can be designed around the practical AI skills employees need according to their roles and responsibilities.
From AI Awareness to Workplace Application
The real value of AI training is not whether employees can explain what artificial intelligence is. It is whether they can apply it effectively in their work. Employees should have opportunities to work with realistic business problems, experiment with AI tools, evaluate results and understand what happens when AI gets something wrong.
As AI agents become more common in the workplace, these capabilities become even more important. AI agents can move beyond generating an answer and perform multiple steps towards an objective, which means employees may increasingly need to supervise AI-driven workflows rather than complete every task manually.
Microsoft’s Work Trend Index also explores how AI and agents are changing the way organisations work, reinforcing the need for businesses to think about both technology and workforce readiness. This makes human skills such as critical thinking, judgement, communication and problem-solving increasingly relevant.
What Should L&D Teams Do Next?
L&D teams do not need to turn every employee into an AI specialist. The goal should be to build enough AI fluency for employees to understand where AI can help them, use it appropriately and recognise when human intervention is required.
A useful starting point is to identify where employees are already using AI, where AI could improve existing workflows and which roles require more advanced capabilities. Training can then be built around actual workplace needs rather than AI trends alone.
As AI becomes more embedded in everyday work, L&D teams will also have an important role in preparing employees for AI-driven change. For organisations, the opportunity is bigger than simply introducing another digital tool. AI is changing how work gets done, and L&D has an important role to play in ensuring that the workforce develops alongside it.
The organisations that benefit most from AI may not simply be those with access to the best technology, but those whose people know how to use it effectively.
PEOPLE ALSO ASK (FAQ)
What is AI fluency in the workplace?
AI fluency is the ability to understand, use and evaluate AI effectively at work. It includes knowing how to use AI tools, assess their outputs and recognise when human judgement or intervention is needed.
Why is AI fluency important for Learning and Development?
As AI becomes part of everyday work, L&D teams have an important role in helping employees develop the skills to use it effectively and responsibly. AI training can also help organisations prepare employees for changing roles and workflows.
What AI skills should employees learn?
The right skills depend on the employee’s role. They may include prompting, data analysis, workflow automation, working with AI agents, evaluating AI-generated information, critical thinking and responsible AI use.
How can organisations improve AI fluency among employees?
Organisations can start by identifying where AI is already being used, assessing skills gaps and providing practical training based on real workplace tasks. More advanced training can then focus on areas such as automation and Agentic AI.
Suprise Fakude
Content Specialist at iFundi
Suprise holds a Marketing degree from the Vaal University of Technology and specialises in SEO content strategy for education and skills development. She researches and writes authoritative content on occupational qualifications, career development, workforce trends and the future of work, helping learners and employers make informed decisions in South Africa’s evolving education and training landscape.