Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming an essential skill for all professionals, especially for leaders. Data from a new survey conducted by LinkedIn, the world's largest professional social network, show that globally,three times moreC-level executives added skills related to AI—such as prompt engineering and generative AI tools—to their profiles compared to two years ago.
The movement occurs in a global scenario in which88%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 research reveals that74%local leaders consider "helping the organization adapt to changes caused by AI" as very important, in light of63%of the world average.
“Brazilian leadership is showing a pragmatic stance towards technological transformation. There is a clear willingness to change, but also a critical awareness of the challenges, especially in balancing innovation, sustainability, and social impact. The path is still long, especially when we consider the inclusion of AI in the complex layers of the labor market and the country's socioeconomic structure, but we already see strong movement in many sectors.”, he saysMilton Beck, General Director of LinkedIn for Latin America and Africa.
Although global leaders have1.2 times more likelymore than professionals of other hierarchical levels, not all feel fully prepared to use the technology. Four out of ten C-level executives worldwide cite their own organizations as a challenge to AI adoption, citing factors such as lack of training, doubts about return on investment, and absence of structured change management strategies.
Changes in leadership and impact on business
Globally, with the increasing demand for AI literacy, technology is also beginning to influence recruitment practices: 8 out of 10 leaders say they are more likely to hire candidates with proficiency in AI tools, even if they have less traditional experience.
The Brazilian view on the transformation of work with AI, however, is more critical. Only 11% of executives in Brazil strongly believe that AI will create more jobs than it will eliminate, half of the global average of 22%. There is also notable skepticism regarding the balance between sustainability and financial performance – 39% of Brazilian leaders strongly disagree that both 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 artificial intelligence courses until December 31, 2025, with Portuguese subtitles and certification.
- AI for Organizational Leadersaimed at empowering executives to make strategic decisions about the use of AI, assessing impacts on the business and driving growth.
- AI for Managersfocused on teaching managers to use generative AI to make meetings, feedback, and team management more efficient.
Methodology
C-suite AI literacy skillsResearchers from the LinkedIn Economic Graph analyzed the proportion of over 1 million senior leaders (vice presidents and C-level executives) from large companies (with more than 1,000 employees) in 16 countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States) who listed at least one AI literacy-related skill in the respective year, comparing this group with the proportion of all other professionals who also listed at least one AI literacy skill in the same period.
Global C-suite ResearchGlobal survey with 1,991 C-level executives (Chief Executive Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, and Chief Technology Officer) in nine countries (Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States), working in companies with more than 1,000 employees. The fieldwork was conducted by YouGov between November 26 and December 13, 2024.
