AI Skills Are No Longer Just for Tech Jobs

Human Resources Employer Candidate

When most people think about AI skills, they picture software developers, data scientists, or technology companies.

But the latest SEEK Employment Report suggests something much bigger is happening.

Nearly 4% of all job ads in New Zealand now reference AI-related skills, and demand for those skills has grown 94.1% over the past year. More interestingly, the fastest-growing AI capabilities aren't purely technical. Skills relating to AI Ethics & Governance, Agentic AI, and Generative AI are seeing the strongest growth.

This signals a shift in how businesses are thinking about AI.

Rather than being viewed as a specialist tool used by a select group of technology professionals, AI is increasingly becoming part of everyday business operations. Employers are looking for people who can not only use AI tools, but also understand how to apply them responsibly, manage risk, improve productivity, and create better outcomes for customers and teams.

What's particularly striking is where these skills are showing up.

While AI mentions are most common in Information & Communication Technology roles, they're also becoming increasingly visible in Marketing & Communications and Consulting & Strategy positions. This suggests organisations are looking beyond technical implementation and focusing on how AI can support decision-making, creativity, customer engagement, and business performance.

For businesses in Rotorua and across the Bay of Plenty, this presents both an opportunity and a challenge.

Many organisations aren't ready to hire dedicated AI specialists, and they may never need to. However, there is growing value in employees who are curious about technology, willing to adapt, and capable of using AI tools to work smarter. The organisations that invest in building these capabilities now are likely to gain a competitive advantage as AI becomes more embedded in everyday work.

The report also found that jobs with low exposure to AI automation are growing faster than those with higher exposure. That's an important reminder that AI isn't replacing people. Instead, it's changing the skills that employers value and creating new ways for people to add value in their roles.

At Talent ID, we're increasingly seeing conversations shift from "Will AI replace jobs?" to "How can our people use AI effectively?" That's a much more productive discussion.

The future workforce won't be defined by who can code. It will be defined by who can combine human skills such as communication, judgement, relationship-building and creativity with the power of AI.

And based on the latest hiring data, that future is arriving faster than many organisations expected.

Talent ID Takeaway: AI is no longer just a technology trend. It's becoming a workforce trend. The businesses that focus on developing AI capability alongside human capability will be the ones best positioned for the future.