AI Skills Are Missing From Job Descriptions But Still Expected

AI is transforming creative workflows at an unprecedented pace, but the design job market has yet to reflect this shift explicitly. Despite widespread adoption of tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT, Dall-E, and Runway, fewer than 1% of the 176,000 design job listings analyzed in Fast Company’s upcoming report, Where the Design Jobs Are, mention any of these tools. This is not due to a lack of usage, as designers across leading organizations such as Meta, Shopify, Duolingo, and OpenAI use AI consistently. Instead, the absence stems from uncertainty about how to define and formalize AI competencies in hiring practices.

Companies are opting to hire for adaptability, curiosity, and problem-solving abilities over specific tool proficiencies, reports Fast Company Mexico. Leaders at firms like Figma and Mattel confirm that they value candidates who demonstrate creative experimentation with AI, even if it is not an explicit job requirement. Meta’s design leadership goes as far as to say that AI use is so integrated into daily workflows that there is no need to list it in job descriptions. Visa echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that while designers are expected to experiment with AI, formal experience or certification is not yet required.

This approach is not unique to the design world. According to Buk’s HR Trends 2025 study, as reported by MBN, organizations across Latin America are facing increased challenges in acquiring and retaining qualified talent as technological change accelerates faster than educational systems can adapt. In Mexico, 68% of recruiters report difficulty filling key roles. The growing skills gap is turning talent acquisition into a critical business concern.

Buk’s research, which includes AI-driven analysis of nearly 4,000 academic and organizational documents, identifies five major trends shaping the future of human capital management. Among these is a shift toward valuing capabilities such as digital literacy, analytical thinking, creative problem-solving, and resilience—traits closely aligned with the demands of AI-enabled work. Notably, while 61% of HR professionals have yet to integrate AI into their internal processes, 63% of those who have used it say they strive to promote fairness in recruitment and performance evaluations, addressing long-standing concerns around unconscious bias.