When Big Tech defines AI competence, who really benefits? In this episode, I dig into the growing influence of vendor credentials on the global labour market and why AI capability needs to mean so much more than knowing how to use one company’s platform.
Who Gets to Define AI Competence?
If the same company sells the AI platform, writes the curriculum, sets the exam and awards the qualification, it is doing more than teaching software skills. It is gaining influence over who is considered employable and ready to lead in the AI age. That is the question I brought to an Independent Review Board session at the AI for Developing Countries Forum in Geneva — and it is one that every government, employer and educator needs to be asking right now.
The Problem with Vendor Credentials
Vendor credentials are not without value. They can show that someone understands a specific platform, and they can be updated far more quickly than traditional qualifications. But competence in one company’s product is not the same as genuine AI capability.
The concern kicks in when the technology provider also defines the skills framework, the curriculum, the exam and the qualification that employers are encouraged to recognise. At that point, the vendor is not just supporting education — it is shaping the labour market.
For developing countries, this is especially consequential. If national skills strategies are built around the platforms of a small number of global tech companies, those countries risk becoming dependent on commercial ecosystems they do not own or control. The workforce ends up as the customer rather than a participant in building sovereign AI capability.
What Transferable AI Capability Actually Looks Like
I believe we need a vendor-neutral approach. A qualification should not lose its value the moment someone changes employer, crosses a border or switches platforms. The underlying skills need to be transferable. Here is what I think real AI competence looks like:
- Can the person identify an appropriate AI use case for their context?
- Can they apply AI to a real workplace problem?
- Can they evaluate and verify AI outputs critically?
- Can they protect sensitive information and recognise governance risks?
- Can they transfer their knowledge from one model or platform to another?
- Can they explain the measurable outcome their use of AI achieved?
Those questions tell us far more than the number of badges on someone’s LinkedIn profile.
How I Approach This in My Own Work
In my work with government agencies and organisations, I never start with a vendor. I start by looking at the organisation’s actual needs, existing capability and what success should look like. Participants bring real workplace challenges into the training room. We design, build and test practical use cases together — and the learning can culminate in a capstone project the organisation can genuinely implement, whether that is a digital crisis communications plan, an AI governance framework or an exemplar AI use case for a specific department.
The outcome should not be a certificate proving someone sat through a course. It should be practical capability that stays inside the organisation.
Credentials Should Belong to the Learner
Credentials need to travel with people throughout their careers — remaining meaningful across jobs, platforms and countries. They also need to recognise prior learning. An experienced communications professional, public servant, teacher or lawyer does not start from zero when learning AI. They already bring knowledge, values, judgement and professional expertise. AI capability should build on that foundation, not disregard twenty years of experience because someone has not completed a particular vendor’s course.
We need independent standards that can assess courses and credentials without allowing any single company to control the entire pathway. Vendors, universities, employers, governments, professional bodies and independent frameworks all have a role to play — but no single actor should hold all the power over what competence means.
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About the Podcast Host
AI and Communications Specialist | Author | Podcaster | International Speaker
Joanne Sweeney is a recognised leader in digital marketing and digital transformation, specialising in the practical application of AI to enhance communication strategies. The founder of Digital Training Institute, Joanne, empowers leaders and communications professionals to leverage AI responsibly and effectively, ensuring transparency, trust, and tangible results.
She completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Programme in AI and Public Policy this summer before launching her fourth book AI Playbook, in September. Joanne has also published two editions of Public Sector Marketing Pro, which were preceded by her first title, Social Media Under Investigation Law Enforcement and the Social Web.
Her books have become go-to resources for governments, public sector and policing agencies, as well as marketing and communications professionals, all navigating the challenges of the changing Internet.
Joanne is the host of the AI SIX Podcast, a daily six-minute podcast that provides actionable insights, expert interviews, and practical advice to help professionals navigate the new world of work.
