As artificial intelligence reshapes workplaces across industries, one hiring executive says job seekers worried about AI replacing them may be focusing on the wrong challenge.
Instead of looking for candidates with years of AI experience, employers increasingly want workers who can prove they’re willing to learn, according to Sultan Khan, head of talent acquisition and human resources at San Francisco-based OpenArt AI.
“The willingness to learn is the biggest thing that we really need right now,” Khan told FOX Business. “The people that are open to learning are the ones that we’re seeing grab jobs really quickly in this current landscape.”
His comments come as employers increasingly seek workers with AI skills. According to PwC’s 2025 AI Jobs Barometer, the skills required for AI-exposed jobs are changing 66% faster than in other occupations, while workers with AI skills receive an average 56% wage premium compared with those in similar roles.
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OpenArt, an AI-powered creative platform with more than 8 million monthly users, has grown its workforce by roughly 300% over the past seven to eight months, according to Khan, and is hiring across engineering, product, design, marketing and creative roles.
But Khan said resumes packed with years of AI experience aren’t necessarily what stand out.
“I think the biggest thing that helps make people stand out to me is when I see that they’ve done a lot of side projects or a lot of learning,” he said, pointing to applicants who complete AI courses, earn certifications or experiment with AI tools on their own.
Because generative AI remains relatively new, Khan said recruiters understand many applicants won’t have years of hands-on experience. Instead, he said, hiring managers are looking for people who show curiosity and adaptability.
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“The curiosity is another big thing,” Khan said. “The ones that are really eager and willing to learn how to adapt it into their current workflow are the ones that are getting tons of calls from recruiters.”
That mindset isn’t limited to software engineers.
While OpenArt is recruiting engineers and product managers, Khan said the company is also hiring creative directors, designers and video editors who want to incorporate AI into visual storytelling.
“AI isn’t the creative aspect of things,” Khan said. “It’s the human behind it. AI only does what you tell it to do.”
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Khan acknowledged concerns that AI could replace workers but argued the technology is more likely to change existing jobs than eliminate them.
“AI isn’t going to eliminate jobs,” he said. “It’s just going to transform jobs as a whole.”
His outlook echoes part of a broader trend identified by the World Economic Forum, which estimated in its 2025 Future of Jobs Report that technological advances, including AI, could create 170 million new jobs globally while displacing 92 million by 2030, resulting in a net gain of 78 million jobs. The report also found employers increasingly expect workers to build AI-related skills as adoption spreads.
For recent college graduates entering an uncertain labor market, Khan’s advice is straightforward: start using AI before an employer asks you to.
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He recommends researching the AI platforms commonly used in a chosen field, building projects with those tools and showcasing that work on resumes and LinkedIn profiles.
“The biggest takeaway is really to start learning how to adopt into the AI space rather than only putting it under a negative light,” Khan said.
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