Building AI Fluency: Definition, Framework, and Skills for the Workplace
n April 2025, Shopify’s CEO Tobi Lütke released a company-wide memo making one thing clear: using AI isn’t optional anymore. It’s a core expectation for everyone at Shopify. This shift wasn’t about chasing trends. It was about preparing the workforce to think, work, and build with AI at the center.
Zapier made a similar move. The company announced that all new hires must have AI fluency skills from day one.
These announcements give a name to something many organizations are struggling with: AI fluency.
The CEO of Zapier stating all new hires must have AI fluency skills
What Is AI Fluency? (Definition & Meaning)
AI fluency is the ability to understand, interact with, and apply AI tools confidently in the context of your work.
It includes skills such as:
Writing effective prompts
Integrating AI into workflows
Reviewing outputs critically
Using AI responsibly
AI fluency is more than technical know-how. It’s about navigating AI in a thoughtful, confident, and capable way. Employees who are fluent in AI can apply it to daily tasks, make better decisions, and adapt as the tools evolve.
It’s common to refer to “AI skills” or “AI-savviness,” but those terms can still be hard to define. AI fluency defines a middle ground. It’s not about becoming a developer, and it’s more than just knowing how to use a tool. It’s about navigating AI in a thoughtful, confident, and capable way.
In that sense, AI fluency is a useful label for a real but often unnamed skill gap inside many organizations. It turns a vague challenge (“our people need to get better with AI”) into something you can assess, map, and build.
Zapier defining AI fluency skills for the workplace
AI Fluency vs. AI Literacy
Many organizations use “AI literacy” and “AI fluency” interchangeably, but they aren’t the same.
AI Literacy = Understanding what AI is, its strengths and limitations, and basic terminology.
AI Fluency = Applying AI in practice. Confidently using it in workflows, evaluating outputs, and guiding others to use it well.
Think of literacy as recognition and understanding. Fluency is confident, real-world use.
Why AI Fluency Matters now
AI is already reshaping daily work, but most organizations are behind on training. Employees experiment with AI on their own, but without structured support they often struggle to use it effectively or responsibly.
That’s where L&D leaders and managers can make the difference. By building AI fluency, they can close the gap between curiosity and confident use.
Without fluency, AI adoption stalls. With fluency, it scales.
How to Start Building AI Fluency on your Teams
If you’re in L&D or a manager with AI training responsibilities, here are first steps:
Run a quick AI fluency survey or audit to understand current AI fluency levels.
Align training to skill levels, not job titles.
Create safe practice spaces for experimenting with AI tools.
Support power users (AI Champions) to coach their peers.
Track progress with clear measures like confidence, adoption rates, and rework reduction.
AI fluency isn’t built overnight. But with a structured framework, practical skills, and a culture of experimentation, your organization can move from AI curiosity to confident adoption.
AI fluency is no longer optional
AI fluency is not just another buzzword. It’s a strategic capability that determines whether your teams can adapt and thrive in an AI-driven workplace. Organizations like Shopify and Zapier are setting the standard: being fluent in AI is now an expectation, not an option.
The sooner you start building AI fluency, the sooner your managers and employees can put AI to work in meaningful, measurable ways.
Need help building your managers AI fluency?
Try our AI Adoption Accelerator for Managers.