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19th November 2025

AI and the future of English skills in the workplace

Insights from the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index

Advances in artificial intelligence are prompting an important question for business leaders: will AI tools reduce the need for English proficiency, or make it more important than ever?

While translation and automation technologies continue to evolve, the EF English Proficiency Index (EPI) 2025 shows that English remains central to international communication. Rather than replacing the need for English, AI is transforming its role in global organizations.

Why English still matters in the age of AI

The EF EPI 2025 reveals that speaking and listening skills remain consistently weaker than reading and writing in most countries. These productive skills are crucial in professional contexts, from client negotiations to virtual meetings. They are the skills that enable persuasion, empathy, and trust, yet they are also the hardest to develop at scale.

In a workplace increasingly supported by AI, this imbalance becomes more significant. Reading and writing can now be assisted or automated by intelligent systems, but spoken communication still depends on human ability. Translation tools can smooth text-based exchanges, but they often conceal underlying weaknesses in real-time communication. When employees rely too heavily on automation, those gaps can surface at critical moments where fluency, nuance, and confidence matter most, such as in negotiations or presentations.

How English shapes access to AI innovation

Another consideration is that the most advanced AI technologies are still developed primarily in English and often released first in English. Many of the leading AI models, research papers, and professional communities are accessible first to users who can operate fluently in English.

This creates a growing digital language divide. Employees who lack English proficiency may face delays in accessing the newest tools, documentation, and training materials, or may depend on imperfect machine translations to understand them. This can slow adoption, limit productivity, and create two distinct tiers of capability within global teams: those who can interact directly with cutting-edge systems, and those who must wait for localization or translation.

Teams that combine English proficiency with AI literacy can integrate innovations faster, adapt more easily to new workflows, and collaborate seamlessly across markets. For global companies, this takes the role of English beyond communication, to make it the language of technology adoption and digital readiness.

How AI can help close English skills gaps

At the same time, AI is presenting new opportunities for organizations to strengthen English capability across their workforces. New tools now offer personalized coaching, continuous speaking practice, and real-time feedback on pronunciation and fluency. Learners can rehearse presentations, simulate meetings, or improve listening comprehension in flexible, low-pressure environments.

These advances mean that the very technology that risks widening the skills gap can also help close it. Effective methods of instruction can now be delivered at scale, using adaptive systems that tailor learning to individual needs and track measurable progress. For multinational companies, this makes targeted, data-driven language development both feasible and cost-effective.

Takeaways for business leaders

The findings of the EF EPI 2025 reinforce that English is arguably becoming even more valuable in the age of AI. While new technologies will continue to automate translation and streamline written communication, they cannot replicate the trust, empathy, and spontaneity that characterize effective human interaction.

For HR and L&D leaders, the priority should thus be to ensure employees have the English proficiency needed to access and leverage AI technologies, and to use AI itself as a tool to accelerate language learning. Organizations that achieve this balance will be best positioned to compete in an economy where communication and technology are inseparable.

The EF EPI 2025 explores these dynamics in greater depth, alongside regional and industry-level analysis and practical recommendations for business leaders.