What's your Universal AI Level?
AI courses are described as beginner, intermediate or advanced, but those labels tell us remarkably little.
A beginner might be opening ChatGPT for the first time. Another might already be creating images, analysing documents and building automated workflows. Meanwhile, someone saying they are “good with AI” could mean they use it to write emails or that they build production applications.
The Universal AI Level, or UAIL, gives us a clearer way to describe what someone can actually do.
Your UAIL is the highest level at which you can work independently and repeatedly.
What Does UAIL Measure?
UAIL measures practical ability rather than confidence, terminology or the number of tools you have tried.
To work at a particular level, you should be able to:
-
Complete the task independently
-
Repeat it reliably
-
Review the result properly
-
Recognise common problems
-
Make reasonable progress when something goes wrong
Using a feature once does not automatically place you at that level. Watching someone else do it on YouTube does not count either, which may be disappointing news for several LinkedIn experts.
The Universal AI Levels
Level
0
Uninitiated
I haven’t used AI.
What you can do:
You have never intentionally used an AI chatbot, image generator or similar AI tool. You may use products containing AI without realising it, but you have not directly instructed an AI system yourself.
How do you know?
You would need help choosing a tool, opening it and beginning your first interaction.
No code required
AI User
Level
1
Conversational
I talk to AI.
What you can do:
You can hold a useful conversation with an AI assistant. You can ask questions, provide context, request writing, give feedback and refine an answer.
How do you know?
When the first response is unsuitable, you can explain what needs changing and continue the conversation without starting again.
No code required
AI User
Level
2
Creator
I use AI to make things.
What you can do:
You can use AI to create different types of output, including images, documents, presentations, spreadsheets, audio or video. You understand the basic process of generating, reviewing, editing and using an output.
How do you know?
You can begin with an idea and produce something usable, rather than copying the first answer without reviewing it.
No code required
AI User
Level
3
Operator
I use AI confidently in my work.
What you can do:
You can use AI for meaningful work involving research, analysis, planning, source documents and data. You can choose suitable tools, provide useful context, improve instructions and check the quality of the result.
How do you know?
When an answer, formula or conclusion looks wrong, you investigate it. You do not assume that a confident AI response must be correct.
No code required
AI Practitioner and No-Code Builder
Level
4
Automator
I create repeatable AI workflows.
What you can do:
You can design custom assistants, agents, templates and automations that complete repeatable tasks. You can structure inputs and outputs, pass information between stages and improve a workflow when it produces inconsistent results.
How do you know?
You can design a useful process from scratch rather than relying entirely on a ready-made template. When it fails, you can usually identify which stage caused the problem.
No code required
AI Practitioner and No-Code Builder
Level
5
No-Code Builder
I build connected AI systems without coding.
What you can do:
You can build complete no-code or low-code applications where AI tools and other services work together. You are confident using connectors, MCP, APIs through visual tools, databases, authentication and agent systems without writing the underlying code yourself.
How do you know?
You can build and maintain a working system involving multiple tools, data sources or agents. When a connection breaks, you know where to look and can make meaningful progress towards fixing it.
No code required
AI Practitioner and No-Code Builder
Level
6
AI-Assisted Coder
AI helps me code.
What you can do:
You can use AI to write and edit code, create scripts, work with repositories, use a terminal, connect APIs and deploy a simple application. You may still rely heavily on AI to explain the code and solve technical problems.
How do you know?
You can take a simple software idea from instruction to working deployment, although unfamiliar errors may still leave you dependent on AI or another developer.
Code required
Developer, Engineer or Architect
Level
7
AI Developer
I build and maintain AI applications.
What you can do:
You can independently inspect, change, test and debug the code behind an AI application. You understand databases, authentication, APIs, application architecture, security and deployment well enough to maintain what you build.
How do you know?
When AI-generated code fails, you can read it, identify the likely cause and make informed changes rather than repeatedly asking the AI to try again.
Code required
Developer, Engineer or Architect
Level
8
AI Systems Engineer
I architect production AI systems.
What you can do:
You can design reliable systems involving models, agents, retrieval, orchestration, evaluation, monitoring and model routing. You can balance accuracy, speed, security, reliability and cost.
How do you know?
You design for failures, misuse, changing models and unexpected inputs before customers discover them for you.
Code required
Developer, Engineer or Architect
Level
9
AI Architect or Researcher
I build or adapt the underlying AI.
What you can do:
You can train, fine-tune or substantially adapt models. You understand training data, evaluation, optimisation, infrastructure, safety and machine learning at a deep technical level.
How do you know?
You can develop or materially improve the models, evaluation methods or infrastructure that other AI developers build upon.
Code required
Developer, Engineer or Architect
Level
10
Creating the Matrix
I created the AI.
What you can do:
You develop foundational models, architectures, protocols or genuinely new approaches to artificial intelligence. Your work changes what other researchers, engineers and organisations are able to build.
How do you know?
Other AI experts use your research or technology to create their own systems. You may describe the work as “fairly straightforward” immediately before drawing on six whiteboards.
Code required
Foundational Creator
Where Do You Fit?
UAIL 0–2: AI User
You are beginning to use AI through conversation and creative tools.
UAIL 3–5: AI Practitioner and No-Code Builder
You use AI independently in real work and can create increasingly sophisticated workflows, automations and connected systems.
UAIL 6–9: Developer, Engineer or Architect
You use code to create, maintain and improve AI-powered applications, infrastructure and models.
UAIL 10: Foundational Creator
You are developing the technologies and approaches that shape what artificial intelligence can become.
Use UAIL to Describe Courses Clearly
Course creators can use UAIL to state the level learners should begin at and the practical ability they should have by the end.
For example:
This course is designed for learners at UAIL 2–3. No coding is required. By the end of the course, learners should be able to work independently at UAIL 4.
This tells people far more than beginner, intermediate or advanced.
A course should only promise a particular outcome when its teaching and assessment cover the full capability described at that level.
Download the course labelling guide
Use UAIL in Job Descriptions
Employers can use UAIL to explain the practical AI capability required for a role.
For example:
This role requires approximately UAIL 4. Candidates should be able to design and maintain repeatable AI workflows without coding.
A candidate does not need experience with every available AI platform to demonstrate a level. The measure is whether they can complete the work independently and reliably.
Free to Use, Share and Adapt
The Universal AI Level was created by Inkie to give people a clearer shared language for AI capability.
It is free for anyone to use, share and adapt.
You do not need permission and attribution is not compulsory.
We would naturally be delighted if you link to the official UAIL page, particularly so people can find the complete definitions and any future updates.
When adapting the framework, it is helpful to state that your version has been adapted so it is not confused with the current official version.
Current version: UAIL v1.0
Published: August 2026
Created by: Inkie
Official page: inkie.ink/universal-ai-level
