The three skills everyone needs to thrive in the AI era

As artificial intelligence transforms work, how do organizations equip people with the skills to thrive?

Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, says the answer lies in understanding a new landscape of AI skills.

Speaking at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Global AI Summit, Smith outlined three key skills needed in the AI era:

1. AI fluency, the ability to use AI tools effectively;
2. AI engineering, focused on building advanced AI applications; and
3. Organizational leadership, which emphasizes guiding teams through cultural and operational change

He also highlighted global disparities in AI adoption: “We are in the global capital today of AI adoption … the UAE leads the world with roughly a 59% per capita adoption rate … the United States is only 29%.”

Smith shared these insights during the panel “Bringing AI Technology, Trust, and Talent to the World,” part of GZERO Media’s Global Stage series in partnership with Microsoft, which brings together global leaders to discuss the geopolitical and technological trends shaping our world.