AI Ambition Outweighs Readiness

Artificial intelligence has crossed the tipping point. In AI Becomes a Daily Workplace Tool with Employees Trying to Stay Ahead, AMA reports that 95 percent of organizations use AI tools in some capacity, with 58 percent reporting daily use.

Using data from a global survey of 1,365 professionals across 29 countries, the report reveals that although AI has moved from experimental to essential, only 53 percent of companies have updated governance policies in place. More importantly, despite major increases in AI training, 57 percent of employees still feel behind.

AMA declares that while adoption is soaring, AI readiness is uneven. That concurs with analysis in Leapsome’s 2026 Workforce Trends Report: People at the Center of Change, which asserts that AI systems are “entering workplaces much faster than the support available, raising expectations before employees have the time, skills, or clarity to adjust.”

Based on a survey of 2,400 full-time people managers, individual contributors, and HR leaders, Leapsome’s report makes clear that leaders want quick results from AI tools, but many employees feel unprepared. Half of respondents say they experience pressure from leadership to implement AI tools in their workflows, and 38 percent admit they cannot keep up with the expectations that leadership sets.

Many respondents find that the reality of AI doesn’t match performance targets. More than half of employees (52 percent) report to Leapsome that leadership overestimates what AI systems can achieve. Adding to the anxiety is the fact that AI programs are not plug and play, and the transition initially creates more work. In fact, one-quarter of all respondents say AI tools create significant upfront work without enough support, and 56 percent of employees across roles report they lose time reviewing and correcting AI output.

“The early phase of AI adoption can feel like an obstacle course—and the promised efficiency has yet to materialize,” notes Leapsome, adding that this “creates a cycle of constant ‘catching up’—draining energy, adding stress, and making AI feel like a moving target instead of a clear solution.”

Providing a backdrop to AI adoption is a dwindling workforce. Fifty-three percent of HR leaders report their organizations are not backfilling certain roles because they think AI tools can perform the necessary tasks; 44 percent say AI systems are replacing junior roles altogether. Leapsome maintains the result is more pressure on midlevel employees, who must oversee and complete work that may look easily automated but still requires human judgment and input.

In other words, those employees left behind must cover gaps and learn new tools at the same time. Further, high expectations around AI add more strain and create pressure for workers to deliver results before the right conditions are in place.

Research from the Conference Board agrees that although companies are optimistic about AI’s potential to improve productivity, many still lack structure, skills, and culture to take advantage of the possibilities.

“AI is reshaping work at extraordinary speed. Workers are largely energized by AI’s possibilities, but organizations must rethink how they operate or risk missing the broader value AI can deliver,” says Matt Rosenbaum, principal researcher for the Conference Board’s human capital center.

Drawing on global surveys of more than 900 leaders and workers, as well as 26 interviews with enterprise executives, the Conference Board article, "Workers’ AI Optimism Abounds: How Workers Say AI Affects Their Jobs," reveals that 54 percent of leaders believe their organizations have an insufficient link between AI redesign and business strategy.

Additionally, 68 percent of surveyed leaders say their companies struggle with insufficient employee skills to take advantage of AI redesigns. What’s more, only 42 percent of workers and 56 percent of leaders say their organizations provide sufficient AI training and support.

“Expectations are rising faster than the structures to support them,” concludes Leapsome. “As teams work through AI’s steep learning curve, many feel the targets they’re given don’t match reality.”

Read more from Talent Development Leader.