Salt Lake City, UT, March 13, 2025 – Today Degreed, the world’s leading enterprise learning platform for skill-driven development, announced that the average proficiency of AI skills within the global workforce more than doubled (2.5x) from December 2022 to December 2024. This skill increase aligns with the launch of ChatGPT in November of 2022, a launching point for workplaces that have seen the rapid adoption of generative AI technologies. Despite this growth, Degreed’s data indicates that only 3% of workers are currently assessed as having expertise in AI (rated 5 or greater on an 8 point scale), up from 1.3% two years ago.

AI Skills by Sector

Employees are increasingly focused on building AI skills across industries. Degreed’s data reveals significant growth in the prevalence of AI skills¹, with Healthcare and Manufacturing showing strong momentum at 136% growth in interest, followed by Technology at 127%. Professional Services demonstrates particularly high engagement, leading at 162% growth, which reflects the sector's emphasis on digital transformation.

Growth in AI expertise² varies by industry as well. Healthcare shows exceptional progress with 141% expertise growth, while Finance demonstrates strong advancement at 120% expertise growth. The data indicates that these sectors are taking a more strategic approach to AI integration, investing in deep technical capabilities and specialized AI applications that drive innovation in patient care and financial services. This focused development of AI expertise, particularly in regulated industries, suggests a mature approach to digital transformation that could serve as a model for other sectors looking to enhance their AI capabilities.

Global AI Skill Growth

AI is revolutionizing the workplace, with accessible GenAI tools enabling workers to be more productive and better at their jobs. According to a report by Capgemini Research Institute, 80% of organizations have increased their investment in generative AI since 2023, and 20% have maintained their investment level. Degreed’s regional analysis also shows significant growth in prevalence of AI upskilling, with APAC leading at 236%, followed by EMEA at 146%, and LATAM and NAMER at 108% and 107% respectively, highlighting a global commitment to AI workforce transformation.

"Businesses are competing in a world where AI is transforming industries at an unprecedented pace. The data we have makes it clear that the C-level got the message and is investing in equipping their workforces with AI skills, empowering workers to innovate, streamline operations, and make data-driven decisions," said Max Wessel, Co-CEO at Degreed. "At the same time, while companies are making progress in upskilling their employees, efforts need to be accelerated to ensure the expertise levels match the requirements for the rapid workforce change that is expected."

Report Methodology

The findings in this report are based on data from Degreed's platform, with 10 million users across large, global enterprises. Our research defines AI skills within Degreed's skill taxonomy as encompassing hundreds of technical skills, concepts, and sub-domains within the broader domain AI. Prevalence in AI skills is defined as the number of employees with some level of AI skills. Expertise in AI is defined as the number of employees with AI skills with a rating in AI of five or more on an eight point scale. All growth rates presented reflect changes observed during the two-year period from December 2022 to December 2024.

For more information, visit degreed.com

¹ Prevalence of AI skills is defined by the number of employees with some level of AI skills.

² Expertise in AI is defined as the number of employees with AI skills with a skill rating in AI of 5+ on an 8 point scale