A global study by Kyndryl reveals a significant gap between AI investments and workforce readiness across industries. While 95 percent of businesses have invested in AI, 71 percent of leaders report their workforces are unprepared to leverage the technology effectively, and 51 percent acknowledge a lack of skilled talent.
Additionally, 45 percent of CEOs believe their employees are resistant or even hostile to AI. Preparedness levels vary by sector, with Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance leading, while Healthcare lags behind.
“The encouraging news is that businesses that can get alignment at the top are not only marching in the same direction, but are seeing benefits,” said Kim Basile, Chief Information Officer at Kyndryl. “This work isn’t easy, but aligning technology strategies with broader business goals is the top action leaders need to take to fully benefit from AI.”
Kyndryl’s People Readiness Report highlights that while AI investment is widespread, few organizations have realized transformative value, with only 40 percent using AI insights to drive decisions and just 20 percent focusing AI on developing new products and services.
A small subset of “AI Pacesetters” has integrated AI by aligning workforce strategies, addressing barriers like organizational change management, employee trust, and skill gaps. These organizations are three times more likely to have change management strategies in place, 29 percent less likely to face employee distrust, and 67 percent more likely to have effective skills inventory tools, with 40 percent reporting no skills challenges.
Leadership perspectives on AI readiness differ, as CEOs tend to see their organizations as less prepared and are more inclined to hire externally than to upskill. The study emphasizes the need for top-level alignment and strategic workforce development to unlock AI’s potential for growth and innovation, Kyndryl reveals.
The Kyndryl People Readiness Report surveyed 1,100 business and technology leaders in 8 markets such as Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, Spain, the UK and the US to uncover how organizations are managing the pace of change related to AI and technological innovation, the roadblocks they have encountered, and the actions they must take to better prepare their workforces. The survey was conducted by Edelman DXI, on behalf of Kyndryl between February 20 and March 21, 2025.
InfotechLead.com News Desk
