Who is Training the Workforce on AI Competency?

The inaugural UNITED Nations (UN) global dialogue on artificial intelligence (AI) governance, held in Geneva on 6 and 7 July, marked a genuine shift: For the first time, every country had a place in a universal UN forum on AI governance, debating trustworthy AI, accountability, capacity building and the global AI divide.

These are urgent priorities. Yet millions of people are already using AI in their daily work, raising a question that has received far less attention in Geneva: Who is teaching the workforce to use it responsibly and effectively?

Across public institutions, companies and professional services, employees use generative AI to draft, summarise, research and support decision-making – mostly without structured training, guidance or a proper grasp of its limitations.

The corporate world calls part of this ‘shadow AI’: AI use without the organisation’s knowledge, approval or safeguards.

It thrives where sanctioned tools and training are absent and creates real legal exposure: Confidential information entered into a public tool may be disclosed, and unverified output may not withstand scrutiny in a court, an audit or a disciplinary inquiry.

I see this gap every time I run an AI training session in Namibia. Most participants already use it at work. Almost none have been shown how to verify its output, what must never be entered into it, or when to set it aside entirely. The policy conversation assumes a level of competence that has not yet been developed.