By Quick answer: What AI skills should I learn in 2027?
- Everyone — prompting and AI at work.
- Power users — Anthropic and OpenAI academies (free).
- Builders — LLMs and ML.
- Leaders — AI strategy.
Key takeaways
- AI and big data top the WEF's list of fastest-growing skills.
- Everyone needs the first two skills; builders need the rest.
- Prove AI skills with a real workflow you improved.
AI and big data top the World Economic Forum's list of fastest-growing skills, and AI and machine learning specialists are among the fastest-growing jobs.1 But 'AI skills' covers everything from writing a good prompt to training a model. Here are eight distinct AI skills for 2027, in order from everyone to specialists, with a certification for each.
Eight AI skills, eight certifications
Ranked for this reader. Costs and formats come from each issuer's own page, checked on 3 November 2026; prices change, so confirm before you book.
| # | Certification | Cost | Time | Prove it free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google Prompting EssentialsGoogle / Coursera | $49/mo Coursera plan2 | Under 10 hours (per course page) | Free test |
| 2 | Google AI EssentialsGoogle / Coursera | $49/mo Coursera plan3 | Under 10 hours (per course page) | Free test |
| 3 | Anthropic Academy – Claude CoursesAnthropic | Free4 | Self-paced | Free test |
| 4 | OpenAI AcademyOpenAI | Free5 | Self-paced | Free test |
| 5 | Generative AI with Large Language ModelsDeepLearning.AI & AWS / Coursera | Coursera plan6 | 2 weeks at 10 hours a week | Free test |
| 6 | AWS Certified AI PractitionerAmazon Web Services | $1007 | 90 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 7 | Machine Learning SpecializationDeepLearning.AI & Stanford / Coursera | $49/mo Coursera plan8 | 2 months at 10 hours a week | Free test |
| 8 | Google Cloud Generative AI LeaderGoogle Cloud | $999 | 90 minutes, multiple choice | Free test |
Prove it free before you pay for an exam
Take the free test first. Pay for an exam only when you pass.
Every pick above has a matching free practice test on Science of Apps, one of the world's largest libraries of free certification tests (1,200+). Check your level before you pay for an exam, or add a verifiable credential to LinkedIn while you study. (Disclosure: we publish these tests; the certifications above earn us nothing.)
- Prompt Engineering CertificationPractise for Google Prompting Essentials before you pay.Start free test →
- AI Literacy CertificationPractise for Google AI Essentials before you pay.Start free test →
- Context Engineering Certification TestPractise for Anthropic Academy – Claude Courses before you pay.Start free test →
- LLM Application Development CertificationPractise for Generative AI with Large Language Models before you pay.Start free test →
Each AI skill, and the certification that proves it
- CourseraGoogle Prompting EssentialsPrompting$49/mo Coursera plan
- CourseraGoogle AI EssentialsAI at work$49/mo Coursera plan
- AnthropicAnthropic Academy – Claude CoursesWorking with Claude, freeFree
Google Prompting Essentials
- Cost
- $49/mo Coursera plan2
- Time
- Under 10 hours (per course page)
Prompting is the base AI skill. Google's course teaches it in under ten hours. Google's prompting course teaches a repeatable way to write clear instructions for AI tools, refine outputs and use prompts for writing, data and planning tasks. It takes under ten hours and works with any major AI assistant, not just Google's.
Best forprompting
Google AI Essentials
- Cost
- $49/mo Coursera plan3
- Time
- Under 10 hours (per course page)
Using AI safely and well in daily work: drafting, research, analysis. Under ten hours. Google's short course teaches practical generative AI for everyday work: drafting, research, analysis and using AI responsibly. It needs no technical background and takes under ten hours, so it suits almost any professional who wants to use AI tools with more confidence.
Best forAI at work
Anthropic Academy – Claude Courses
- Cost
- Free4
Anthropic Academy's free courses on working with Claude, from everyday use to building. Anthropic Academy's free courses teach how to use Claude well and how to build with Anthropic's API, from everyday prompting to developer workflows. They suit both professionals and developers.
Best forworking with Claude, free
OpenAI Academy
- Cost
- Free5
OpenAI Academy's free learning on ChatGPT and OpenAI tools. OpenAI Academy's free learning covers using ChatGPT and OpenAI's tools effectively at work and in education. It's practical and tool-specific, so pair it with a tool-neutral course if you use several assistants.
Best forworking with ChatGPT, free
Generative AI with Large Language Models
- Cost
- Coursera plan6
- Time
- 2 weeks at 10 hours a week
How LLMs work and how to fine-tune and deploy them, about two weeks part-time. DeepLearning.AI and AWS's course explains how large language models work, how to fine-tune and evaluate them and how to deploy them. It takes about two weeks at ten hours a week and suits developers and data scientists with Python.
Best forbuilding with LLMs
AWS Certified AI Practitioner
- Cost
- $1007
- Format
- 90 minutes, 65 questions
A $100 exam proving AI and generative AI basics on AWS. AWS's foundational exam covers AI, machine learning and generative AI concepts and how AWS services support them. It's 90 minutes with 65 questions and costs $100, so it suits cloud, tech and business staff who need AI literacy.
Best forAI on cloud
Machine Learning Specialization
- Cost
- $49/mo Coursera plan8
- Time
- 2 months at 10 hours a week
Andrew Ng's specialization: the machine learning foundation under modern AI. Andrew Ng's specialization with Stanford teaches supervised and unsupervised learning, model evaluation and practical machine learning in Python. It takes about two months at ten hours a week and is widely regarded as the clearest structured start in ML.
Best formachine learning
Google Cloud Generative AI Leader
- Cost
- $999
- Format
- 90 minutes, multiple choice
A $99 exam on generative AI strategy for leaders. Google Cloud's foundational exam tests generative AI strategy for non-technical leaders: use cases, risks and adoption. It's 90 minutes of multiple choice and costs $99, one of the cheapest proctored AI credentials available.
Best forAI strategy
AI skills by role
| Role | Skills to learn first |
|---|---|
| Any professional | Prompting, AI at work |
| Analyst | AI at work, ML basics |
| Developer | LLMs, AI on cloud |
| Manager | AI at work, AI strategy |
Table: AI skills by role
How we ranked these picks
We grouped AI skills from general to specialist and matched each to a credible certification. Fees and times come from official pages, checked 3 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important AI skill?
Using AI well at work, starting with prompting. It applies to almost every job.
Do I need coding for AI skills?
Not for prompting, AI at work or AI strategy. Building with LLMs and ML needs Python.
What are free ways to learn AI?
Anthropic Academy, OpenAI Academy and Elements of AI are free; many Coursera courses are free to audit.
Which AI certification is best for jobs?
For technical roles, AWS ML Engineer or Google Cloud ML Engineer. For everyone else, Google AI Essentials.
Is there a free AI skills test?
Yes. Science of Apps offers free AI, prompt engineering and ML tests with instant results.
Sources
- World Economic Forum — The Future of Jobs Report 2025
- Google — Google Prompting Essentials, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Google — Google AI Essentials, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Anthropic — Anthropic Academy – Claude Courses, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- OpenAI — OpenAI Academy, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- DeepLearning.AI & AWS — Generative AI with Large Language Models, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified AI Practitioner, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- DeepLearning.AI & Stanford — Machine Learning Specialization, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Google Cloud — Google Cloud Generative AI Leader, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Checked November 4, 2026. Figures that change — fees, salaries, prices — are reviewed every six months; if something is out of date, tell us.
Where to go from here
- The best online certifications of 2027 — the full top 10 across every field
- Free Online Certifications in 2027: 10 That Employers Respect — related guide
- Science of Apps free certification catalogue — 1,200+ free tests
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The top skills to learn in 2027, with ten certifications that prove themThe top skills to learn in 2027, from WEF data: AI, data, cybersecurity, cloud, tech literacy and more, with 10 certifications that prove each one.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The best AI certifications for freelancers in 2027: seven to offer AI services or work fasterThe 7 best AI certifications for freelancers in 2027: AI Essentials, Prompting, Anthropic and OpenAI academies, LLM course, AI-102 and GenAI Leader.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The best prompt engineering certifications of 2027: six worth your time, ranked honestlyThe 6 best prompt engineering certifications and courses for 2027: Google Prompting Essentials, Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepLearning.AI and Azure AI-102, with costs.
- Career guidesHow to get a prompt engineering job in 2027: what the title really pays, the skills employers test and how to prove themHow to get a prompt engineering job in 2027: what the role pays in India, the skills employers test, a portfolio of evals and a four-week plan.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027Is Prompt Engineering a Real Career in 2027? — answered for 2027Is prompt engineering a real career in 2027? Mostly a skill inside other roles, with a few specialist jobs. What to learn instead and alongside.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027Top 5 certifications and courses of 2027: one for each career path, nothing you don't needThe top 5 certifications and courses for 2027, one per career path: AI, cloud, data, cybersecurity and project management, with costs and enrol links.
Get the ideas, not the noise.
Sign up with Google and we’ll send you short UX psychology tips by email — why people tap, stall and leave, and what to do about it. Unsubscribe anytime. Prefer something to keep? Get the free Laws of UX guide as a PDF.
Prove the skill before you pay for the exam.
Start with the free Prompt Engineering Certification. 1,200+ free, test-based certifications graded on our server. Pass and get a founder-signed certificate with a credential ID employers can verify.