AI is omnipresent at the moment and is mooted as the potential solution for almost every challenge facing humanity. While its realistic short-term uses will not perhaps be as far-reaching as some predict, we are already seeing artificial intelligence support breakthroughs in quantum computing, bringing back formerly extinct animals, and identifying new antibiotics, to name just a few.
For the vast majority of users, the main focus of their AI attention to date will have been on GenAI and large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Claude, DALL-E, CoPilot and many more. They have already transformed many submarkets and the ever-increasing proliferation of AI-generated content across the internet since their initial launch in 2022 highlights this shift. Consumers are also increasingly using these platforms for online searches, where they would have previously only turned to Google, and adopted them to complement other ways of sourcing information. In fact, research from this year suggests that 71.5% of consumers report using AI for searches, with 14% relying on them on a daily basis.
Increasingly, many users are also leveraging GenAI’s ability to produce outputs that mimic human creativity to create text or image content, while others use it as a sounding board or companion. AI remains a nebulous concept for most, but it has quickly become a familiar and, for many, integrated part of modern life. It is also having a profound impact on the job market and broader hiring trends. But what skills are organisations increasingly seeking to capitalise on the growing adoption of AI?
Evolving job market
The employment market has responded accordingly to the emergence of artificial intelligence. Outside of searches and content production, professionals in almost every industry are leveraging AI in one form or another to manage more mundane, process-driven and time-consuming elements of their personal or professional lives.
This is being reflected in the growing number of AI and machine learning-related roles. According to PwC’s 2024 Global AI Jobs Barometer, role specifications requiring AI skills have grown 3.5 times faster than all job postings since 2016, and for every AI job in 2012, there were seven in 2024. In the US specifically, approximately 25% of all tech job posts from last year required artificial intelligence expertise, followed by the financial industry in second place. In addition, a separate analysis showed that by April 2024, 23% of Chief Financial Officer adverts mentioned AI expertise, reflecting a 15% increase from January 2024. This trend will only grow. The World Economic Forum has said that AI and machine learning specialisms will top the list of fastest-growing jobs until 2027 and beyond, and millions of people will be trained in areas including language processing, AI ethics, security specialists and more in the coming years. However, businesses that seek ready-made specialists to fill roles will struggle, because these individuals are exceptionally hard to source. This is largely due to the fact that artificial intelligence is a relatively emerging discipline, and talent doesn’t exist in any significant quantities yet. In fact, tech leaders across companies of all sizes recently cited that the single biggest talent gaps they are experiencing are in AI and machine learning.
The problem is compounded because such a huge volume of businesses are seeking these individuals, making the talent market exceptionally competitive in this area. For candidates, part of the onus is on them to ensure their skills are market-ready and align with the demands of modern employers. But equally businesses themselves must also aim to play their part in boosting workforce education and AI development strategies. Increasing AI-specific training will help employers to capitalise and lay the groundwork for a smoother transition to advanced tools in the workplace. Workers will likely be encouraged to develop an innovation mindset around AI which subsequently enables individuals to feel more empowered to experiment, and better learn its potential use cases, which can only aid both businesses and professionals. Indeed, we are already beginning to see this trend emerge. Our 2025 Salary Guide revealed that 72% of businesses are encouraging employees to explore generative AI for routine tasks.
Finance and accounting: the role of AI skills
If we take a deep dive into sectors, AI is already redefining roles across a range of remits, but it will not replace individuals outright for the foreseeable future. In finance and accounting, for example, while it can be highly valuable for accountants and other specialists seeking support with administrative workloads, or to provide data insights or analysis, unlike the movies, AI cannot yet operate without human intervention or produce outputs at the level expected from accountants and other financial professionals. Instead, it can help to drive improved productivity and deal with process-driven elements like error or anomaly detection, predictive forecasting and more. Indeed, recent data shows that two-thirds of firms are encouraging finance and accounting talent to explore Gen AI tools to enhance day-to-day tasks, and 50% are already planning internal upskilling
However, AI still requires careful management and, in a profession so focused on accuracy, the level of human validation will remain fundamental. The pace of development and exponential growth suggests this will change, but for now, financial and accounting professionals will use AI to help, not lead.
This means that – if anything – softer skills are becoming increasingly key and will differentiate the best talent in the market from the rest. Financial professionals are relied on not just for data and figures, but also for clear explanations, communication and strategic guidance. Those who can strike the balance between leveraging AI whilst still offering intrinsic human value will be the ones to thrive in the accountancy and financial profession of the future.
This isn’t just for those at junior, or middle management level, but across all levels of seniority and expertise. With 92% of companies looking to increase their AI investments over the next three years, all professionals should be looking to upskill themselves and develop a balance of AI competencies and complementary softer skills to thrive in the changing employment market of 2025 and beyond.
