Corporate leaders are making strides in preparing themselves and their teams for the age of AI, but our fresh survey data shows there’s still a long way to go.
We surveyed company leaders in the US and UK (VPs in the US, directors and VPs in the UK) in October 2024 and again in September 2025—a total of 651 leaders surveyed—to see how attitudes and investments in AI training are evolving.
Last year’s results found that solving the AI skills gap starts at the top. The results of this year’s survey highlight both encouraging momentum and persistent challenges.
Companies step up AI training
The number of leaders reporting regular AI training at their companies has nearly doubled, climbing from 16% in 2024 to 28% in 2025. That’s a meaningful shift in just a year.
At the same time, the share of leaders who say their companies offer no AI training at all dropped from 54% last year to 31% today. It’s progress—but still leaves almost one in three companies without a structured approach to AI learning.
Other AI training takeaways:
- 62% of leaders have now attended AI training, compared with 43% in 2024
- Less than half (47%) say their companies offer leadership-specific AI training, leaving many executives to figure things out on their own
- At large companies (1,000+ employees), 56% offer leadership-focused training—much higher than the 38% reported by small firms with fewer than 100 employees
- 80% say their employers provide adequate training to new employees, up from 67% in 2024—however, that still leaves 1 in 5 leaders saying new hires are underprepared
- 77% say their employers provide adequate training for employees to keep skills up to date, leaving nearly a quarter who say they don’t
Many companies are also backing training with money, with 60% of leaders reporting their companies offer learning stipends or training budgets, about the same as 58% in 2024. But while stipends are common, they aren’t always fully used: only 60% of leaders say employees “always” or “often” use them. More than a third (34%) say stipends are used just “sometimes,” and 6% say they’re rarely or never tapped.
AI confidence rises—but so do fears
One of the clearest signals of change is growing leader confidence in their ability to navigate AI:
- 74% say they have the knowledge to make AI-related vendor decisions, up from 61% in 2024
- Of those confident in making vendor calls, 57% report having leadership-specific training—compared with just 19% among those who lack that knowledge
- 57% are very or extremely confident in using AI tools without compromising company data, up from 42% in 2024
Still, confidence isn’t universal: 30% of leaders say they’re only somewhat confident, and 13% say they’re not very or not at all confident about using AI securely.
At the same time, anxiety about job security is growing:
- 36% of leaders now believe there’s at least some chance AI could replace their job, up from 27% in 2024
- 12% think AI could replace most or all of their employees within the next decade, up from 8% last year
- Only 17% believe AI won’t replace any jobs, down from 21% in 2024
This tension—confidence in skills paired with unease about the future—captures the paradox of AI adoption today.
AI adoption accelerates, but workflows lag
AI is becoming a bigger part of how leaders and their teams work. Nearly three-quarters (73%) now encourage their teams to use AI, up sharply from 55% in 2024. And 75% say their teams use AI tools regularly, up from 48% last year.
But adoption doesn’t always mean transformation. Only 38% of leaders have restructured team workflows around AI. Another 40% say they’ve only done this “somewhat,” and 22% admit they’ve done little or nothing.
For those not embracing AI yet, the barriers are telling:
- 42% cite security, privacy, or regulatory concerns
- 34% say they lack clear use cases
- 28% say it’s not a leadership priority
- 22% believe current workflows are sufficient
- 18% say they don’t have the skills to implement and use AI
- 17% say they tried it but didn’t get results
- 16% worry adopting AI could make their team look replaceable
What’s striking is the connection between leadership encouragement and organizational support. Leaders who encourage their teams to use AI are seven times more likely to say their company offers regular AI training. Meanwhile, 68% of leaders who don’t encourage their teams say their companies provide no AI training at all.
And the payoff is clear: leaders who restructured workflows around AI were 15% more likely to feel confident using AI securely, and 25% more likely to feel prepared to make vendor decisions.
Powering the progress for AI and leaders
Our 2025 survey results show real progress: more training, more adoption, and more confident leaders. But the data also makes clear that leadership-specific AI training and organizational transformation remain unfinished business.
As General Assembly CEO Daniele Grassi put it:
If you’re questioning why you aren’t seeing ROI from AI investments, look at the top, and make sure leadership is equipped with the technical and change management skills that move the needle.
We partner with companies worldwide to close gaps, helping executives and employees alike build the skills needed to thrive in an AI-powered future.
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