Employers are teaching staff how to use today’s AI tools but not preparing them for the jobs AI will create tomorrow, according to new global research.
Businesses are embracing artificial intelligence, but many are failing to prepare their workforce for the next phase of AI-driven change. The latest report from The Conference Board found that more than half of employees already use AI regularly, yet only one in three has received employer-provided training.
Based on interviews with 35 enterprise leaders and a global survey of nearly 1,300 workers, the research found organisations remain focused on helping employees perform their current roles. Few are planning for the widespread reskilling and job redesign that AI-driven workforce transformation will require.
INCREASING AI INVESTMENT
The findings come as employers significantly increase investment in AI, even as questions grow over whether organisations are investing just as heavily in their people. Fair Play Talks recently reported on London’s £30 million AI action plan to help workers and businesses prepare for AI-driven workforce change across an estimated 600,000 jobs.
Meanwhile, separate research found two-thirds of workers believe AI is already reducing entry-level hiring opportunities, reinforcing concerns that workforce readiness – not simply technology adoption – is becoming one of the defining business challenges of the decade.
AI ADOPTION OUTPACING WORFORCE PREPARATION
The report paints a picture of organisations struggling to keep pace with employees’ growing use of AI. More than half of workers (55.1%) now use generative AI or AI agents every day or every week. However:
- Only 33.3% have participated in employer-provided AI training during the past six months.
- 28.3% say their employer provides no AI training at all.
- Only 48.0% believe their organisation provides enough time during working hours to develop AI skills.
- Just 47.6% say they have sufficient access to the tools, resources and support needed to build AI capabilities.
The rapid pace of AI adoption mirrors wider business investment. Earlier this year, Fair Play Talks reported that CEOs worldwide are continuing to increase AI investment despite geopolitical uncertainty, demonstrating that organisations remain confident in AI’s long-term strategic value.
However, the findings from The Conference Board findings suggest investment in technology is not always being matched by equivalent investment in workforce capability, creating a growing readiness gap as AI becomes embedded across organisations.
ADVANCED AI LITERACY
While many employers are teaching basic AI prompting techniques and introducing staff to generative AI tools, the research found far fewer are helping employees develop the more advanced capabilities organisations will increasingly require. These include:
- Managing AI agents.
- Integrating AI into everyday workflows.
- Applying AI to strategic business challenges.
- Redesigning work around human-AI collaboration.
According to Matt Rosenbaum, Principal Researcher, Human Capital, The Conference Board: “Many organisations have made progress introducing employees to AI, but AI literacy alone will not create business value. The organisations that benefit most from AI will be those that help employees apply AI effectively in their work, continuously develop new capabilities, and adapt as technology and business needs evolve.”
ROI ON AI INVESTMENTS
The findings also help explain why many organisations are struggling to demonstrate meaningful returns from AI investment. Earlier this year, research showed that seven in 10 companies could slash AI budgets if return on investment fails to meet expectations, suggesting technology alone will not deliver business value without employees who know how to apply it effectively.
Likewise, previous Fair Play Talks research found seven in 10 employers believe AI can help solve skills shortages, but three-quarters of workers fear AI will reduce employment opportunities. Together, the studies suggest organisations must pair AI investment with a clear workforce strategy if they are to realise AI’s full potential.
The report argues that effective AI capability cannot be built through online learning modules alone. Instead, successful organisations are increasingly combining formal learning, social learning, experiential learning and practical hands-on experimentation.
EMPLOYEES NEED TIME AS WELL AS TRAINING
Researchers found employees value learning by doing, while leaders stressed that practical application is essential if AI is to generate measurable business outcomes. However, many employees simply do not have enough protected time during the working day to build those skills.
Only 48% of workers believe their employer provides enough time for AI learning during working hours, while just 47.6% believe they have sufficient access to AI tools and resources.
“Employees are far more optimistic about AI when they believe their organisation will help them adapt as technology evolves,” said Marion Devine, Principal Researcher, Human Capital, Europe, The Conference Board. “Building that confidence requires giving people the time, support, and opportunities to develop new skills as work changes.”
Building employee confidence could prove increasingly important as concern about AI’s workplace impact continues to grow. Fair Play Talks recently reported that seven in 10 workers fear AI-driven layoffs, while another study found nearly half of employees worry AI could make them less intelligent by reducing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Together, the findings suggest organisations face a dual challenge: helping employees build AI capability while maintaining trust and confidence in how the technology is introduced.
WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION
One of the report’s strongest messages is that organisations remain focused on helping employees perform today’s jobs rather than preparing them for tomorrow’s. Training investment continues to centre on upskilling existing roles, despite growing evidence that AI will fundamentally reshape many occupations over the coming years.
Researchers warn organisations that delay planning for workforce redeployment and large-scale reskilling until disruption becomes widespread may struggle to adapt successfully. Rather than treating AI training as a standalone learning initiative, the report argues organisations should build enterprise-wide learning ecosystems that connect workforce development with business strategy, governance, workflow redesign, organisational culture and skills measurement.
The research also recommends reinforcing AI capability throughout the employee lifecycle – from recruitment and onboarding through to performance management – and rewarding employees who successfully develop new AI skills. The report also reinforces growing concern about AI’s impact on early careers.
Fair Play Talks recently highlighted research showing two-thirds of workers believe AI is reducing entry-level hiring, while separate reporting warned that Britain now has more than one million young people locked out of work, raising concerns that AI could further restrict traditional routes into employment if businesses redesign roles without creating new pathways for early-career talent.
LEADERSHIP AND AI SUCCESS
The report concludes that AI workforce transformation should become a leadership priority rather than simply an HR initiative. According to Diana Scott, US Human Capital Center Leader, The Conference Board. “The organisations that navigate AI successfully will be the ones that treat workforce transformation as a leadership priority. CHROs have an opportunity to bring together business leaders, technology teams, and learning functions around a shared strategy for developing the capabilities the organization will need next.”
Viewed alongside the growing body of AI research covered by Fair Play Talks, this latest report suggests the conversation is shifting. Earlier studies asked whether organisations were adopting AI. More recent research questioned whether AI would reduce hiring, increase job insecurity or deliver sufficient return on investment. The Conference Board’s findings point to the next challenge: ensuring employees are prepared not only to use today’s AI tools, but to succeed in jobs that may look fundamentally different over the coming years.
The evidence increasingly suggests competitive advantage will depend less on who adopts AI first and more on who develops the workforce capable of using it effectively. As AI agents become more sophisticated and organisations redesign work around automation and human-AI collaboration, businesses that invest in continuous learning, workforce agility and long-term reskilling are likely to outperform those focused solely on deploying new technology.
GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYERS
So what should employers do next? The Conference Board recommends that employers:
- Focus on developing applied AI capabilities that deliver measurable business outcomes, not just AI literacy.
- Give employees protected time, practical tools and opportunities to build AI skills through hands-on experience.
- Combine formal, social and experiential learning into a continuous development model.
- Align AI skills programmes with wider business strategy and establish clear accountability for outcomes.
- Begin preparing now for future workforce reskilling and redeployment rather than waiting for disruption to accelerate.
- Build employee confidence by demonstrating a long-term commitment to helping workers adapt as AI technologies continue to evolve.
- Review entry-level talent strategies to ensure AI complements rather than replaces pathways for graduates and early-career professionals.
- Measure workforce capability alongside AI investment, tracking how effectively employees apply AI to improve business outcomes rather than focusing solely on AI adoption.
Click here to download the full report.
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