How To Build AI Literacy: 16 Ways To Stay Relevant As A Professional
For a professional, staying relevant in a highly competitive landscape means continuously evolving. Today, that includes developing a strong grasp of how to leverage artificial intelligence in the workplace. You don't need to become an expert overnight, but building AI literacy and sharpening your digital skills can help you lead more effectively, make smarter decisions and stand out in your field.
Below, 16 Forbes Coaches Council members share the practical tips and insights they would share with their own clients to help build confidence with AI and strengthen digital competencies. Whether you're exploring new career opportunities, stepping into a leadership role or simply aiming to keep up with change, these tips can help set you up for long-term success.
Staying relevant in today's professional landscape isn't about becoming a tech expert. It's about embracing a mindset of adaptability, curiosity and intentional learning. In my work with clients, our focus isn't on chasing every new tool; it's on understanding how digital trends intersect with their industry, influence decision-making and shift what teams expect from their leaders. - Gina Martin, Gina Martin Coaching
It is critical to guide clients to embrace AI by demystifying its role in their industry, offering hands-on tools and use cases and showing them how to integrate it into their daily work. Staying relevant means learning continuously—those who don't adapt risk falling behind. Leaders should always stay ahead, not play catch-up. - Tinna Jackson, Jackson Consulting Group, LLC
I'd focus on three areas: mindset, skill set and action. I'd have clients state why this matters, then foster a growth mindset and commitment to continuous learning. Then, I'd guide them to relevant learning aids to build foundational AI knowledge, including its relevance to their industry. Finally, I'd help them apply their learning through projects or tools to improve their digital competency. - Ula Ojiaku, Mezahab Group
I'd immerse them in 'real-world'' role-play labs: AI-simulated market shifts where they must adapt in real time—not theory, not tutorials, but lived, gamified disruption. Because relevance isn't taught; it's trained through tension, experimentation and reflection in synthetic futures. - Andre Shojaie, HumanLearn
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
We encourage our clients to set aside time each week to understand the changes that are occurring in AI each week, and to put intentionality behind the time they spend to become and/or stay relevant. We also stay relevant in the latest AI updates ourselves in order to serve our clients better. At the very least, we recommend that our clients delegate or outsource the required digital competencies in order to remain relevant. - Gregg Frederick, G3 Development Group, Inc
It is all about how AI is being grafted into your field. We are connecting clients to key classes, workshops and learnings that directly impact, and are being integrated into, their profession and work. It's not about going crazy and running to every 'must-see' AI seminar. It is about how you can learn what is being, and what will be, applied to your role, your job, your industry and your company. - John M. O'Connor, Career Pro Inc.
AI is moving at such a pace that nobody can ever claim to have 'cracked it'—it's a consistently moving target with more to learn every day. Remember, almost every profession has to perform, record and submit some form of minimum continuous professional development hours per year in order to remain accredited. For a leader, their personal CPD hours now have to be AI-based. - Antonio Garrido, My Daily Leadership
Start with curiosity, not code. I tell clients: You don't need to become an AI engineer; you need to know what questions to ask and what tools to use. Focus on use cases, not buzzwords. Relevance today means knowing enough to lead smart conversations, spot nonsense and stay ahead of the curve—without getting lost in the algorithm. - Anastasia Paruntseva, Visionary Partners Ltd.
Encourage a digital mindset shift. We help clients shift from being passive tech users to strategic AI collaborators by: 1. framing AI as a partner, not a replacement; 2. encouraging experimentation with AI on safe, low-risk tasks (that is, those in which they have expertise so that AI hallucinations can be easily spotted); and 3. emphasizing ethics, data privacy and bias awareness in AI use. - Nick Leighton, Exactly Where You Want to Be
I would start by turning AI literacy into a team sport rather than a solo study session. We would form a micro-learning pod where the client teaches one AI concept per week to their peers or even their kids, using plain language and silly metaphors. Relevance is not about mastering every tool; it is about making tech human and relatable, starting with oneself. AI is a friend; embrace it. - Thomas Lim, Centre for Systems Leadership (SIM Academy)
I'd show clients (not tell them) how AI can solve everyday challenges. For instance, if they're in sales, I'd demonstrate how AI can automate lead scoring, saving them time and boosting sales. By showing the immediate benefits—like freeing up time or making smarter decisions—I'd help them see how AI can make their work easier and more impactful, sparking real excitement. - Shikha Bajaj, Own Your Color
The fastest way to build AI literacy is to start using it. Explore what works in your role—using AI to polish or proof your writing or brainstorm ideas, for example—and where it may fall short, such as accurately pulling data or citations. As you do, check your company's guidelines on approved tools and confidentiality to ensure you're using AI responsibly. - Kathleen Shanley, Statice
To stay relevant, I'd help clients understand how AI agents can optimize workflows, enhance decision-making and drive efficiency. We'd focus on practical learning—starting with data quality, bias detection and real use cases—so that they could confidently identify where AI adds value and how it complements their expertise. - Stephan Lendi, Newbury Media & Communications GmbH
Focus on understanding your problems and existing solutions. You don't need to be an AI expert, but you should know how to use AI to solve your issues efficiently. Assess your skills, provide targeted training, encourage practical application, promote continuous learning, leverage AI tools and build a supportive network. This approach ensures you stay competitive and effective. - Aurelien Mangano, DevelUpLeaders
AI is here, and it is not going away, so you either invest your time in becoming AI literate or you become obsolete. There are many online courses (including some good free ones) that start with the basics of what AI is and is not. I also encourage you to look into courses that discuss the application of AI in your particular field and industry. Talk to your engineers. Try AI copiloting with a virtual assistant in your downtime. - Katy MacKinnon Hansell, Katy Hansell Impact Partners
I'd guide clients to adopt an AI copilot mindset—using AI as a thinking partner, not just a tool. Then we'd layer in weekly challenges with real tasks and real stakes, designed to build prompt fluency, pattern recognition and adaptive thinking. In a fast-forward world, relevance goes to those who upgrade how they think. - Adam Levine, InnerXLab
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