The top AI skills to have in 2026

Build The AI Skills You Need

The irony of AI is that it’s really all about humans. Our approach, our behaviors, our thinking. That’s why skills will define success in this new era.

But that doesn’t look the same for everyone in practice. AI skills will matter to everyone, certainly, but the type of skills you’ll be putting into action depends on your role

A technician building AI systems needs very different capabilities from a leader shaping strategy or a ‘non-techy’ employee using AI to boost productivity.
Let’s break it down, to show you where you, your teams, and your business need to upskill to get further with AI this year.

This article was written by Dr Vicky Crockett, QA's Portfolio Director for Artificial Intelligence, an experienced mathematician, educator, leader, and consultant in data science and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Essential AI skills For everyone

If you use a computer, you’re an ‘end user’ of AI. How productive, efficient and impactful you are at the work you already do will now be tied directly to how you leverage the AI capabilities built into software you’re using everyday – think Word, Excel, and Teams. This applies to diverse teams, from Operations to People to Marketing and more, and from interns all the way to senior leaders.
Here’s what everyone who’s anyone should know:

1. Prompt engineering basics

Learning to craft effective prompts for accurate, relevant outputs is the new digital literacy. And those who master it will be able work faster, deliver greater quality and derive far more value from their AI tools. 

2. AI literacy 

It won't be enough to just make more of your AI tools. It's increasingly important to understand what AI can and can’t do. Know its limitations and ethical considerations.

3. Data awareness

Poor data equals poor AI. Learn why data quality and privacy matter and how getting these fundamentals right is a must-have skill for building AI that you can trust.

4. Critical thinking with AI

Don’t take outputs at face value, evaluate for accuracy and bias. Sure, AI can help us automate tasks and save time, but quality checking and creative thinking do not disappear as important skills. 

5. Collaboration with AI tools

Integrate AI into your workflow: summarising, drafting, automating tasks. Done correctly, AI can smooth out the edges in your processes, boosting everyone's productivity. 

These skills aren’t optional. They’re the foundation for working confidently and responsibly with AI, whoever you are (CEOs, that means you, too)

For leaders: skills that drive AI transformation

Leadership in 2026 means guiding teams through AI-driven change. It’s not just about approving budgets, it’s about shaping culture, governance, and strategy.

It’s a new, unique blend of skills, where tech meets people, mindset and culture. These strategic skills will be essential: 

1. AI governance and compliance

Build frameworks for responsible AI use and align with regulations. This will allow innovation to scale safely and with confidence. 

 2. Strategic AI adoption

Spot opportunities, manage risk, and drive business value. AI adoption is accelerating business change, and those who succeed in getting it right will reap the rewards. 

3. Change management for AI

AI transformation means change at every level, and lots of it. Your teams will need leaders with the skills to manage resistance and scale innovation at pace. 

4. Ethical AI decision-making

Ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability. This will help to build trust, reduce risk and make sure AI outcomes are defensible. 

5. AI ROI analysis

Measure impact and return on investment for AI projects, allowing you to demonstrate the real value of your AI initiatives. 

Leaders who master these skills will drive valuable adoption turn AI from a risk into a competitive advantage.

AI skills for technicians: building the future

Technical teams are at the sharp end of AI innovation. They’re not just using AI, they’re building it. That doesn’t mean they don’t still need foundational AI skills, but these more advanced competencies will set you apart:

1. Advanced prompt engineering

Design multi-step prompts and workflows for complex tasks, enabling AI to handle sophisticated processes with accuracy and efficiency. 

2. Agentic AI systems

Build and manage autonomous AI agents tailored to organisational needs. Businesses will need those with the skills to build and monitor complex multi-agent systems. 

3. LLM integration

Create systems with large language models for specific use cases, e.g., retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).

4. Automated AI system testing

Set up continuous testing for generative AI models, ensuring errors are caught early and that high-quality outputs are consistent over time. 

5. AI safety and security

For those in both AI teams and cyber security teams, to implement safeguards against misuse, adversarial attacks, and data leaks.

6. Multi-agent frameworks

Develop systems where multiple AI agents collaborate effectively. This will help to drive efficiency, solve complex problems and deliver smarter outcomes. 

7. World model engineering

Create digital environments used to train physical AI systems, supporting with the safe deployment of new AI products. 

8. AI and quantum computing foundations

Future-proof your skills with maths, statistics, and programming, future-proofing your skills for tomorrow's most advanced technologies. 

These aren’t niche skills – they will all be in high demand, applied to real AI progress in diverse businesses. People with skills like these will be the backbone of AI progress, not just this year, but for some time to come.

So, there’s the full menu of AI skills I think you should be picking up this year. The takeaway I really want people to draw from this is that AI won’t replace your job – but it will change how you do it. It’s time to embrace new skills – the ones that make a difference for you, whether that’s prompting basics to quantum foundations. Leaders, developers, and everyday users alike; now is the time to invest in your AI capability.

Get in touch with our experts today to found out how you can get ahead in AI in 2026.