This policy brief summarises and brings together various pieces of OECD research to build a coherent narrative on what we know about artificial intelligence (AI) and skills. The policy brief highlights the importance of skills to make a success of AI and identifies several areas for policy action and future research.

Key findings

• As AI continues to transform workplaces, one of the decisive factors in whether economies will benefit from this shift may not be the technology itself, but the skills of the people using it.
• A lack of skills is holding back the adoption of AI. At the same time, AI is raising the skills bar.

Policy responses must strive to:

• closely monitor evolving skill demands and the impact of AI on employment, including on different population sub-groups
• scale up access to AI-relevant skills, especially for SMEs and workers at risk of falling behind
• ensure lifelong training and reskilling opportunities, with shared responsibility among employers, workers and governments
• align skills policies with broader economic policies and strategies to maximise their impact.