Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming an essential skill for all professionals, especially for leadership. Data from a new LinkedIn survey, the world’s largest professional network, shows that globally, three times more C-level executives have added AI-related skills—such as prompt engineering and generative AI tools—to their profiles compared to two years ago.
This movement occurs in a global scenario where 88% of business leaders state that accelerating AI adoption is a priority for their businesses in 2025. In Brazil, this sense of urgency is even more evident: the survey reveals that 74% of local leaders consider ‘helping the organization adapt to AI-driven changes’ as very important, compared to 63% of the global average.
“Brazilian leaders are taking a pragmatic approach to technological transformation. There is a clear willingness for change, but also a critical awareness of the challenges, especially in balancing innovation, sustainability, and social impact. The journey is still long, particularly when considering AI integration into the complex layers of the job market and the country’s socioeconomic structure, but we already see strong movement in many sectors,” says Milton Beck, LinkedIn’s General Director for Latin America and Africa..
Although global leaders have 1.2 times more chances to add AI skills to their LinkedIn profiles than professionals at other hierarchical levels, not all feel fully prepared to use the technology. Four out of ten C-level executives worldwide point to their own organizations as a challenge for AI adoption, citing factors such as lack of training, doubts about return on investment, and absence of structured change management strategies.
Leadership Changes and Business Impact
Globally, with the growing demand for AI literacy, the technology is also beginning to influence hiring practices: 8 out of 10 leaders say they are more likely to hire candidates proficient in AI tools, even if they have less traditional experience.
The Brazilian perspective on AI-driven workplace transformation, however, is more critical. Only 11% of executives in Brazil strongly believe AI will create more jobs than it eliminates—half the global average of 22%. There is also notable skepticism about balancing sustainability and financial performance—39% of Brazilian leaders strongly disagree that they go hand in hand, compared to 30% globally.
Training to Boost AI Adoption
To support professionals in the adaptation process, LinkedIn and Microsoft are offering free AI courses until December 31, 2025, with Portuguese subtitles and certification.
- AI for Organizational Leaders: aimed at empowering executives to make strategic decisions about AI use, assessing business impacts, and driving growth.
- AI for Managers: focused on teaching managers to use generative AI to make meetings, feedback, and team management more efficient.
Methodology
C-suite AI literacy skills: LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers analyzed the proportion of over 1 million senior leaders (vice presidents and C-level executives) from large companies (with more than 1,000 employees) across 16 countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the US) who listed at least one AI literacy-related skill in the respective year, comparing this group to the proportion of all other professionals who also listed at least one AI literacy skill in the same period.
Global C-suite Research: Global survey of 1,991 C-level executives (Chief Executive Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, and Chief Technology Officer) across nine countries (Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the US), working for companies with over 1,000 employees. Fieldwork was conducted by YouGov from November 26 to December 13, 2024.
