Being AI literate is no longer just a resume bonus; it’s becoming a requirement for securing a job.
Once limited to technology and coding jobs, artificial intelligence has spread beyond into nearly every industry, creating a shift in what employers look for in applicants.
Workers who utilize artificial intelligence tools to enhance efficiency, automate processes, and increase productivity are in high demand. From platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini to specific software, AI is being implemented constantly in the daily workforce. This change means students and workers who do not adapt risk falling behind in a job market that now values technological understanding, adaptability, and lifelong learning.
“Employers are now expecting that job applicants are well-versed and agile users of AI tools,” Mari Ramler, holder of a Ph.D. in rhetorics, communication, information design said.
As an associate professor for Tennessee Technological University, Ramler is proud to see Tennessee Tech become the first in the state to offer an AI major. Teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses for the Professional and Technical Communication concentration in English helps her set students up for success, using AI in her classes to better their work and prepare them for the workforce.
“They want employees to know how to use AI tools—Chat, Gemini, Copilot, and other field-specific AI tools—to streamline their workloads, automate processes, and increase productivity,” Ramler said.
Ramler acknowledges that AI is a tool and can be used for both bad and good purposes. She promotes ethical understanding to her students, encouraging them to explore and see what they can improve with AI. Ramler sees AI skills becoming just as important as digital literacy and communication skills.
“Pick a major that uses AI but won’t be replaced by it—nursing, for example,” Ramler said.
When considering the job market, Ramler advises caution due to the increased automation and replacement due to artificial intelligence. Her own daughter wanted to be a media brand manager, but Ramler advised her against this route, seeing AI already creating and managing online content.
“Think carefully and critically about who you are and how you can be an agile citizen of a future that is already here and becoming even more artificial,” Ramler said.
Ramler encourages a job that will not be replaced by AI, such as vocational or trade jobs. Finding a job that works alongside AI instead of being taken over is just as important as finding a job that you are good at and enjoy. Society soon won’t need as many jobs as AI combined with robotics, thinking carefully and critically about careers now will only set you up to be a citizen of the future.
“If you’re not doing continuing education and not looking at AI, looking at other tools, and looking into the bigger picture of why things are happening, you’re going to fall behind,” Gaisony Young, a Dental Hygienist, said.
AI usage in the dental industry has only been around for the past two to three years, and many older or private practices haven’t yet joined in. The main operation of AI is within x-rays; it points out and color codes decay that many untaught patients can’t see. This function not only helps clarify issues for a patient but also helps insurance claims be filed, as many don’t understand the purpose from a grey-scale image.
“I treat it as a tool—something to help me do my job easier, better, and faster. I can do all these calculations by hand, but it usually takes me anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes. With AI, I can usually do that same calculation in five minutes,” Steve Wall said.
As a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning worker, he mainly uses AI to calculate load calculations. While he does use AI, he promotes a double check because AI is not correct 100 percent of the time. Understanding AI and having the knowledge to do it by hand are both important to true AI literacy.
