While executives embrace its transformative impact, this enthusiasm is not matched by their HR chiefs
Chief human resources officers don't share the same level of excitement as chief executive officers about AI's impact at work, according to a new report.
Initial findings released by Slalom in its survey of 2,000 C-suite executives and leaders globally offered insights into executives' perspectives on AI in the workplaces.
It found that only a third of CHROs are "very positive" on AI's transformative impact at work, much lower than the 51% of CEOs who are optimistic about the technology.
This gap may be traced to CEOs' confidence in AI and its potential at work, despite the lack of readiness demonstrated by the workforce.
According to the report, 91% of organisations plan to increase AI spend in 2026, while 67% said they are keeping pace with AI advancements.
Two-thirds of organisations are also using AI assistants to address urgent business needs, while 95% of executives said they are already comfortable with AI augmenting leadership and decision-making.
"This is not the beginning of AI disruption. It's the endgame of its first act," said Amy Loftus, Chief Customer Officer at Slalom, in a statement.
"Global executives told us they expect most AI-driven transformation will be complete by 2030. The final surge of change across roles, workflows, and systems will peak between 2026 and 2028."
Workforce readiness lagging
But executives' excitement over AI isn't translating well throughout the broader workforce, according to the report.
It found that just 36% of mid-level managers believe AI will have a very positive industry impact, while only 49% are comfortable using the technology to augment leadership and decision-making.
Most organisations (93%) further noted that skills gaps are their biggest obstacle to AI adoption.
Only 39% of organisations are also measuring ROI from AI, while only 21% have enterprise-wide use cases of the technology.
According to Slalom, AI adoption's success depends on whether organisations can bridge the growing gap between strategy and execution.
"As executives push AI deeper into decision-making, the question becomes whether organisations have the data foundations and appropriate frameworks to ensure those decisions are trusted," Loftus said.
