Datacamp DLR Report 2025 Small
Datacamp DLR Report 2025 Small
T H E S T A T E O F
Data + AI
L I T E R A C Y
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
Contents Introduction
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27
The Challenges Leaders Are Facing in Filling the Data and AI Skills Gap
36
40
58
61
Panel of Experts
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Introduction
We stand at the cusp of a new industrial revolution—driven In this era of change, one factor remains constant: skills.
Now in its third edition, The State of Data & AI Literacy Report continues to track the skills
agenda amidst an ever-shifting landscape, shedding light on how organizations are adapting
Just as electrification reshaped industries long after the
to the AI era.
How has the data and AI skills agenda evolved over the past 12 months
To add to their perspectives, we have collected insights from industry thought leaders and
DataCamp for Business customers on many of the themes and trends covered in this report
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
SECTION 1
Data and AI
Literacy in 2025
A Generational Transformation
69%
literacy remaining stable year over year, the fact is: the
majority of leaders believe that data and AI literacy remain
essential for the future.
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
Is AI literacy outpacing
data literacy?
We also surveyed leaders about the growing importance of While this is not surprising given the democratization of AI “Having some sort of data
data and AI skills over the last five years.
The same question was posed to leaders in 2023 and 2024, you can do with data and what
and the results show an interesting trend: the demand for As we explore in the final section of this report, AI literacy data insights mean,
AI literacy skills is outgrowing that of data literacy. We and data literacy go hand-in-hand. Effective AI adoption
understanding what correlation
learned that two of the five fastest-growing skills leaders requires a strong foundation in data skills, from
needed from their teams over the past five years are data understanding data governance to framing analytical is, what regression is—is going
and AI skills—47% of leaders equally point to AI literacy questions. Organizations that invest in both areas will be to be a skill that's
and business intelligence as the fastest-growing skills best positioned to navigate the complexities of the AI era.
fundamentally useful even
they need from their teams.
Michael Berthold
CEO at KNIME
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Four of the top seven fastest-growing skills BI and AI skills have grown more in
were data AND AI skills importance for leaders in the past 12 months
“In the past five years, which skills have grown most
“In the past five years, which skills have grown most important
important for your team (or department)? Rank by order of importance.” for your team (or department)? Rank by order of importance.”
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
60%
Despite growing awareness of the importance of data and
AI skills, progress in closing the data and AI skills gap
remains slow.
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
80%
We've already seen how the demand for data and AI skills
continues to rise and how the skills gap persists.
Unsurprisingly, when leaders are asked why these skills
matter, we hear the same response: data and AI literacy
are engines of better business performance.
Specifically, data literacy powers better decision-making, of leaders agree that AI will make
while AI literacy fuels innovation. Moreover, as you’ll see it easier for their teams to work
throughout this report—there is a strong interplay between with and draw insights from data.
data and AI literacy, as 80% of leaders agree that AI will
make it easier for their teams to work with and draw
insights from data. As a result, instead of being just an
innovation engine, AI literacy is also a force multiplier for
better decision-making.
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Data literacy skills are seen as engines of AI literacy skills are seen as engines
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
78%
We can also glean the value leaders see in building data and AI literacy
skills by looking at early adopters. With any new technology, there are
always individuals within organizations who push adoption forward,
setting the standard for others to follow. When asked about the
performance of these individuals, leaders overwhelmingly agree that
those with stronger data and AI skills consistently outperform their peers.
65%
workforce.
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
Early adopters of data and AI literacy are already outperforming those without data and AI skills
“What value do data-literate employees provide over those
“What value do AI-literate employees provide over those
with insufficient data skills? (Rank them by importance)”
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
This trend is also apparent in hiring dynamics. Leaders are The numbers for employees with AI literacy skills are
increasingly willing to pay a premium for talent with strong equally striking. 19% of leaders would offer a 10-15%
data and AI skills premium, while 18% would pay 15-20% extra, and 16% are
willing to go as high as 30-40%. Most notably, 12% of
79% of leaders now say they would offer higher leaders say they would increase salaries by 40-50% for
salaries for candidates with strong data literacy skills, candidates with AI skills.
2024.
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
who has good data literacy skills over a candidate who does not.”
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skills at the foundation of the data and AI literacy spectrum are seen as most important by leaders
"How important, if at all, are the following data skills for the day-to-day tasks of employees in your organization?”
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
Data and AI skills at the foundation of the data and AI literacy spectrum are seen as most important by leaders
"How important, if at all, are the following data skills for the day-to-day tasks of employees in your organization?”
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
SECTION 2
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We first wanted to understand how many teams within “Does your team or any other team within your
organization use one or more AI tools in their work?”
organizations are actively using AI, and our research
revealed a striking statistic: only 9% of leaders report that no
one in their organization uses AI. This means that for most
organizations, AI has already become part of workflows in
some capacity. Expanding on adoption patterns, 64% of
leaders say their teams actively use AI, while an additional
49% report that other teams in their organization also
leverage AI.
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
When looking at specific tools, we can see AI adoption is primarily driven by widely Beyond consumer-facing applications, 33% of organizations have integrated Microsoft
available generative AI systems, with 77% of leaders reporting that their teams use or GitHub Copilot. Additionally, 21% of organizations have built custom AI tools, a trend
ChatGPT, making it the most commonly adopted AI tool in the enterprise. 58% use Google particularly common in large enterprises that prioritize security, privacy, and compliance.
Gemini, 14% use Midjourney, and 13% use Anthropic’s Claude, reflecting growing
adoption across both productivity and creative AI applications.
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
Technical teams are As AI adoption expands across enterprises, we also wanted to understand who uses AI the most within organizations.
The results were both predictable and counterintuitive. Unsurprisingly, technical teams are the biggest adopters of AI,
leading AI adoption, but particularly those focused on coding, data, and research. 60% of IT teams, 54% of data & analytics teams, and 43%
of R&D teams actively use AI for coding, research, and experimentation. This finding should not be surprising, as
functional teams lag coding has become one of the killer apps of LLMs. As Eran Yahav, CTO at Tabnine, said on DataFramed:
CTO at Tabnine
Listen Here
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
However, what stands out is the relatively low adoption in business functions that could Even sales teams (25%), which could leverage AI for personalized messaging, better
greatly benefit from AI-assisted workflows. Marketing (34%), operations (34%), customer prospect research, and more, are among the slowest adopters. This gap suggests that
support (33%), and finance (31%), all functions where AI could enhance productivity, while technical teams are leading the charge, many functional areas have yet to fully
decision-making, and customer interactions, show lower-than-expected adoption. embrace AI’s potential, presenting a significant opportunity for broader enterprise AI
integration.
Technical teams lead adoption—but a big opportunity for functional teams remains
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Listen to Podcast
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With the benefits of AI adoption clear, we also asked “It's crucial for everyone to grasp
leaders to report on any downsides they’ve encountered issues like bias and fairness. And
when implementing the tools. While 36% of leaders say AI
has had no negative impact on their teams, concerns now with the rise of generative AI,
remain.
Ranil Boteju
Watch Here
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
“To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following
“What negative effects have you noticed from your team/ teams in your
statement: “AI tools like ChatGPT have increased productivity in my team?” organization using AI tools daily? (Select all that apply)”
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
The challenges in
scaling AI adoption The majority of challenges teams encounter
32% cite a lack of formal training, underscoring the need for structured
AI upskilling programs to ensure employees use AI effectively and
responsibly. Adjacent to training, 26% find AI tools too complex, making
them less accessible for non-technical employees. Adoption challenges
are also cultural. 32% of leaders report resistance to AI adoption within
their teams, highlighting the importance of change management and
cultural shifts in successful AI adoption.
“What challenges do employees in your organization face when using AI tools effectively?”
In the next section, we’ll explore how organizations are approaching the
data and AI skills agenda and how upskilling and reskilling initiatives
have changed since our last report.
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SECTION 3
data literacy program, a significant increase from 35% lens, it's important to also
last year. Meanwhile, 29% of leaders say that only This increase in upskilling efforts is further supported by consider the different user
technical roles receive data training, marking a 5% an improved perception of access to learning resources. personas within each domain.
decrease, while 20% report that only non-technical roles 74% of leaders now say their teams have access to
also receive training, reflecting a 6% improvement. training resources for data skills (up 9% since last year), The skills and capabilities you
Encouragingly, the percentage of organizations that do and 69% report that their teams have resources for AI need to develop for
not provide any data training has dropped to 7%, down skills (up 13%). This reflects a growing recognition among technologists will differ from
from 12% last year.
Watch Here
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“What would best describe the state of data training at your organization?”
“What would best describe the state of AI training at your organization?”
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Blended learning is the When it comes to how organizations are approaching data and AI training, blended learning (a mix of online-based
training and instructor-led sessions) remains the most popular method. 42% of leaders report using blended
most widely used form learning as their main upskilling methodology. We see this first-hand with DataCamp for Business customers—who
of upskilling
combine the use of DataCamp courses and live sessions to effectively drive learning outcomes.
Bloomberg combines online learning with instructor-led Volkswagen kickstarts a learning culture with a deeply
sessions to drive learning outcomes immersive week of training
Key features of the program Key features of the program
DataCamp courses as pre-requisites for live session One-week immersive session designed and curated by the DataCamp tea
Online sessions delivered by Bloomberg in-house expert Sessions delivered to different teams by DataCamp instructor
Capstone projects built with Bloomberg data
“With our blended learning program, learners were able to go from “Together with DataCamp, we created custom projects using company-
never writing a line of code in their entire life to completing a data- specific data, allowing participants to apply their new skills in a practical,
driven news analysis.” business-relevant way.”
Sheil Naik
Hannah Cuypers
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
Other approaches include internally created online-based training (18%), instructor-led sessions (13%), and third-party online-based
training providers (11%). While external training providers remain a smaller piece of the puzzle, the fact that only 12% of organizations
report not providing any data and AI training is a positive sign that upskilling is becoming a higher priority.
Blended learning and online learning are the most popular ways of addressing the data & AI skills gap
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LACK OF BUDGET, EMPLOYEE RESISTANCE, AND INADEQUATE TRAINING RESOURCES TOP THE LIST OF CHALLENGES
"What challenges have you faced or are you currently facing when improving your workforce's data and AI skills? Please select all that apply.”
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Despite data and AI being primarily active skills, many education providers have yet to adapt training
methods to reflect this reality. Leaders report three key barriers that limit the effectiveness of third-party
training providers: lack of applicability, lack of personalization, and difficulty measuring impact
Lack of applicability: Many people struggle to apply AI and data training in real-world scenarios. 31%
of leaders say video-based courses alone are insufficient, and 27% report that employees don’t
know where to start, highlighting the need for structured, hands-on learning paths
Lack of personalization: Training programs often fail to align with job-specific needs. 23% of leaders
say the skills taught are not relevant to individuals’ roles, while 18% cite a lack of certifications,
indicating demand for credentials that validate expertise and encourage participation
Difficulty measuring impact: Many organizations struggle to assess the effectiveness of training
programs. 30% of leaders say they cannot measure ROI, making it hard to justify ongoing investment.
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
Online learning resources do not provide the needed level of personalization and interactivity
"If you use a third-party online training provider, what challenges have you faced? Please select all that apply.”
Daily XP 500
You've been hired by a media company reporting on a new AI model called vidAIo.
Use ChatGPT to write a template post providing this prompt:
learning experiences with DataCamp ChatGPT was potentially trained with biased data
press 2
press 3
ChatGPT has a knowledge cutoff
Whether data and AI literacy for beginners, prompt engineering with ChatGPT, or machine learning for
Get Started
developers, your teams will put their skills into action with hands-on interactive exercises right in the browser. Take Hint (-30XP) Submit Answer
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
85% cite better innovation, with 41% seeing significant 75% report decreased costs, with 31% seeing
improvements and 26% reporting a complete significant improvements and 20% reporting a
transformation complete transformation.
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Markus Rolle
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Leaders with mature data and AI literacy training programs see even higher ROI
"How has your organization benefited from data and AI training? (Mature data and AI literacy programs only)”
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Data and AI literacy are essential tools for navigating the risks of automation,
“To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement”
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SECTION 4
5 Lessons to
Effectively Upskill and
Reskill Your Teams in
the Age of AI While AI adoption is accelerating, success
hinges on how well the workforce is prepared to
use data and AI effectively.
1—Align Learning
ROI with Business
Objectives
In the previous section, we saw that 30% of leaders
struggle to measure the ROI of their training programs.
One of the biggest pitfalls when launching an upskilling
initiative is failing to align learning objectives with business
objectives. When training is disconnected from real
business needs, it becomes difficult to track impact, gain
leadership support, and drive meaningful change.
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
Skill-based vs. outcome-based learning objectives How Rolls Royce 100x’ed the
speed of their design engineering
Many upskilling programs focus on learning a By linking upskilling efforts to tangible business
specific tool or skill, such as “Learn ChatGPT” or outcomes, organizations can drive greater processes with DataCamp
“Master Power BI.” While valuable, these skill-based adoption, justify training investments, and ensure Key features of the program
objectives often lack direct business impact. Instead, learning translates into real-world impact.
leaders should shift to outcome-based goals that Outcome-based goal of improving design engineering
directly tie learning to measurable efficiency, A great example comes from Rolls Royce, which processes with Python skill
accuracy, or innovation improvements.
worked with DataCamp for Business to upskill Worked with DataCamp for Business to build custom
engineers in Python to automate engineering learning pathways that support these skill
For example, suppose you want to upskill a finance design processes. By focusing on a business Engineers upskilled were able to 100x the speed of
team on Power BI. A skill-based goal might be to process instead of a skill, Rolls Royce was able to their design engineering processes
simply learn Power BI. An outcome-based goal, on curate the right learning resources, upskill their
the other hand, would be to reduce manual reporting engineers, and deliver a 100x improvement in the “At Rolls-Royce, we’re dealing with
time by transitioning from Excel to Power BI. This speed of design engineering processes.
complex data sets related to airlines and
approach not only provides a clear business engines. Through DataCamp, our
rationale for adopting Power BI, making change
engineers gained valuable experience and
management easier but also creates a measurable
success metric: time saved on reporting. learned how to automate multiple data-
handling processes that previously had to
be completed manually.”
Akin Keskin
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2—Focus on
Change
Management
We’ve already seen that resistance to change is one of the
biggest barriers to data and AI adoption and upskilling.
This should come as no surprise, as the workforce naturally
feels uncertainty and fear when new technologies emerge.
Proactively addressing this resistance is key to successful
AI and data training initiatives.
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
Emily Hayward
the right time through the right channels. Here are four
Transformation Team Manager at
tactics you can adopt today to effectively communicate By treating AI and data upskilling as a company-wide
Financial Conduct Authority
the importance of AI and data literacy: movement and adopting a marketer’s mindset,
organizations can boost engagement, build trust, and drive
Watch Here
meaningful adoption of AI literacy across the workforce.
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3—Make Learning
Interactive and Useful
We saw earlier that one of the biggest challenges with
online learning is that passive, video-based learning does
not drive learning ROI. While videos can be useful, they
often fail to build practical, job-ready skills. Instead,
organizations should focus on creating memorable,
pedagogically sound learning experiences that engage
learners and drive real-world application.
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A great example of this comes from Just IT, which runs a data
expert apprenticeship program designed to help organizations “If we compare other providers to DataCamp, they are polar opposites. Most
upskill teams on Python, R, SQL, Power BI, and Tableau.
learning providers are video-based, and lack that crucial interactivity needed to
learn data skills. So for us, choosing DataCamp was a no-brainer."
Despite offering Pluralsight courses and instructor-led training,
instructors found themselves spending too much time helping
beginners catch up instead of focusing on higher-level learning Scott Worland
objectives.
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Lunch and learns with experts: Bring in internal and Data Community Manager
external experts for informal knowledge-sharing at Specsavers
sessions where employees can ask questions and
discuss real-world applications of AI and data.
Read The Case Study
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Literacy Go Hand-in-Hand
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In many ways, data literacy and AI literacy are two sides of Frame the right questions: AI can process data, but
use it responsibly. At
the same coin; one cannot exist effectively without the other. employees must define what to measure and why
Salesforce, AI safety
While generative AI has recently dominated public discourse,
Understand data quality: AI is only as good as its data. training is central to our
most valuable AI applications in organizations today. Assess bias in AI models: AI can amplify biases in the
AI "hacks" to highlight
Additionally, understanding data collection, quality, and data it’s trained on. Employees must critically evaluate AI-
risks and teach safe,
structure is essential for making sense of generative AI driven decisions to avoid reinforcing inaccuracies.
effective use.”
models.
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
5—Personalize
Learning at Scale
As we’ve seen throughout this report, data and AI literacy
are not one-size-fits-all skills. Employees interact with
data and AI differently based on their roles, responsibilities,
and technical expertise. A finance executive may need to
understand how AI impacts risk modeling and regulatory
compliance, while a product manager might focus on
integrating AI into product development.
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At DataCamp, we have identified four distinct learning personas for data and AI literacy programs, each requiring different
levels of competency, as laid out in our Data & AI Competency Framework. You can download and edit this framework to
customize personas for your own organization.
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
Start by gathering insights into your workforce’s knowledge, Once you’ve collected data, analyze it to identify common Once your learning personas are in place, validate
usage patterns, and learning preferences related to data themes. Look for patterns in them with employee feedback. Conduct follow-up
and AI. Use surveys, interviews, focus groups, or surveys or interviews to refine personas and ensure
assessments to collect data on How people interact with AI and data they accurately reflect your workforce’s needs.
Learning needs and preferences: How do people AI and data literacy leve
prefer to learn—self-paced courses, hands-on projects, Common use cases for AI and data in their rol
or workshops Preferred learning method
Challenges they face with AI adoption
organization.
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
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SECTION 5
upcoming webinar This journey is just beginning. If you’re looking to equip your workforce with the skills
needed to thrive in the AI era, speak to our team today. Let’s build a more data-
Watch Here literate, AI-empowered world—together.
Methodology
Watch DataCamp
This research was conducted using an online interview administered to members of
RADAR recordings YouGov Plc UK and a USA panel of individuals who have agreed to participate in
surveys. In this research, the survey features the opinions of a sample of 533
business leaders in the UK and the USA. The data was collected between 22.01.25—
Watch Here 11.02.25. The qualitative interviews referenced with thought leaders in the data and
education space were featured from the DataFramed podcast and DataCamp’s
Webinars and Conference Series.
63
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
Panel of
experts
Ellie Fields
Paulina Davila
Robin Sutara
Hannah Cuypers
Emily Hayward
Chief Product & Engineering VP, Analytics Insights & Field Chief Data Strategy Project Leader Digitalisation Transformation Team Manager
Officer at Salesloft
Storytelling at Officer at Databricks & IT at Porsche AG at Financial Conduct Authority
JPMorganChase
Data Community Manager Senior Director of AI Chief Learning Officer, CTO at Tabnine CEO at KNIME
at Specsavers Engineering at Salesforce Degreed
Uthman Ali
Tathagat Varma
Markus Rolle
Ranil Boteju
Sheil Naik
Global Head of Responsible Global TechOps Leader at Chief Financial Officer at Chief Data and Analytics Senior Technical Trainer and
AI at BP Walmart Global Tech Telefónica Germany Officer at Lloyds Banking Technical Program Manager for
Group Global Data at Bloomberg
40
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The State of Data & AI Literacy 2025
With DataCamp, build everyone’s data & AI skills, from busy executives to front-line workers.
audiences.
Retain and attract talent effectively More than 6,000+ organizations use DataCamp to transform how their teams use data and AI
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Thank you for reading
Are you an organization interested in scaling
your data and AI literacy skills?