New Delhi, July 15 -- A massive gap has widened between what employers are willing to pay for external AI talent versus how they are compensating their existing workforces.
According to the inaugural Indeed AI at Work Tracker 2026, 66% of employers state they offer substantial salary premiums for AI-skilled roles.
Among professionals with direct day-to-day AI exposure, 36% saw zero change in their compensation package, while 18% reported a net decrease in their overall earnings. Only a small minority achieved the high-bracket increases advertised in the external job market.
AI is also influencing career decisions. More than half (51%) say AI has significantly or somewhat influenced the types of jobs they apply for or aspire to, suggesting professionals are proactively adapting their career choices as AI adoption grows.
As organizations navigate this transition, the criteria for entering the AI workforce have fundamentally shifted from pedigree to proof. 40% of employers now explicitly prioritize demonstrable AI skills and certifications over formal university degrees. Only 9% still prioritize an academic degree alone when evaluating candidates for AI roles.
Employees are increasingly recognising this shift in employer expectations. Nearly 37% believe employers now value skills and degrees equally when hiring for AI roles, while 31% believe AI skills and certifications carry greater weight than formal academic qualifications.
Meanwhile, AI hiring continued to strengthen through 2025, with 63% of employers reporting an increase in recruitment for AI-related roles compared to the previous year. Rather than a dramatic hiring surge, the findings point to steady growth across functions such as AI engineering, strategy, operations, governance and ethics, reflecting how organizations are embedding AI capabilities into their existing workforce.
Despite this growing adaptability, concerns about job security remain. Around 42% of employees say they feel highly or somewhat anxious about AI's impact on their careers, while anxiety is highest among unemployed job seekers.
AI is also transforming how organisations hire. Nearly 47% of employers already use AI in recruitment, while another 31% plan to introduce AI-powered hiring tools in the coming years, signalling that AI is becoming embedded across both hiring decisions and workforce planning.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.