Global professional services firm Aon launches its first human capital trend research, Gaps at the core of enterprise AI strategies are highlighted.
Aon said that while organizations generally agree that people will determine the success of AI, investments in workforce strategies have not kept pace.
Aon reports that 88% of employers expect AI to require new skills from their employees, with human capabilities such as adaptability, leadership and change management ranked as the most important drivers of success over the next three years, ahead of technical skills.
However, Aon found that while 73% of organizations have deployed or are piloting AI initiatives, only 18% said a majority of their workforce had participated in reskilling or upskilling in the past year. Aon attributes this disparity to the fact that AI strategies are often developed without a clear link to business goals, operating models or workforce capability needs.
According to Aon, only 28% of surveyed organizations have hired employees with AI expertise, indicating that companies continue to rely on internal talent development. Aon describes this as a disconnect between perceived success factors and actual resource allocation, and views it as a potential risk to enterprise value.
“The winners in AI adoption will lead with world-class talent strategies,” commented Greg Case, president and CEO of Aon. “AI represents a historic growth opportunity, especially for organizations that transform by integrating people and technology so they evolve in lockstep. By closing the gap between ambition and readiness, leaders can act with confidence, build long-term resiliency, and win today and into the future.”
As organizations increase their investments in AI, many are introducing the technology faster than they can build the supporting skills, structure and human framework needed to make it effective, Aon said. Research has found that short-term efficiency often takes precedence over long-term workforce capabilities. Aon pointed out that 80% of organizations regard the automation of daily tasks as the main goal of artificial intelligence, while only 35% prioritize the retraining and upskilling of employees.
Meanwhile, Aon reports that 84% of employers believe the human advantage will become more important as automation increases, and 37% of leaders see the future workforce skills gap as a key concern over the next five to 10 years. Aon said the findings reflected a dissonance, with automation advancing faster than investment in people.
The research outlined by Aon highlights that workforce readiness is closely linked to business outcomes. If expectations, governance and preparedness are unclear or lag behind deployment, organizations may experience slower adoption, fragmented decision-making and increased operational and reputational risks, limiting the expected benefits of AI, Aon said.
“The success of AI ultimately depends on their people, but most are still primarily invested in the technology. This disconnect is where opportunities are lost,” added Byron Beebe, CEO of Aon Human Capital. “Closing the readiness gap requires a coordinated approach – building skills and confidence, establishing clear governance and empowering leaders to guide change – so that technology investments translate into sustainable performance and resilience.”
Aon also found that organizations that make further progress in AI deployment tend to show greater alignment between technology and workforce strategies. The company notes that organizations that fully implement AI are more than twice as likely to describe leadership’s commitment to employee well-being as strong and evident compared to those that only discuss AI but take no action. Aon said this reflects a broader focus on workforce sustainability, engagement and trust, which supports effective scaling and sustained performance.
In developing potential actions, Aon noted the need to align AI strategies with workforce planning, assess future capability needs, and invest in structured, organization-wide reskilling and upskilling.
Aon also emphasized the importance of leadership, clear governance and the use of comprehensive people data and analytics to guide decision-making. Aon said organizations that take these steps are better able to build a resilient and productive workforce and realize the value of AI.
Aon concluded that as AI adoption accelerates, organizations face a choice: continue to prioritize technology alone, or equally invest in the workforce needed to support the technology. The company said those who address the gap between intention and execution by strengthening skills, culture and leadership are more likely to achieve sustained competitive advantage.
