Our latest survey makes one thing clear: AI has officially made its way into the heart of HR.
From writing job descriptions to analyzing employee feedback, the majority of HR professionals—82% to be exact—are now using artificial intelligence as part of their day-to-day work.
But there’s one big problem: most of them never received practical, job-specific training on how to actually use AI.
We recently surveyed nearly 300 HR professionals across the US and UK, and the results are intriguing. While AI adoption is widespread, formal training is falling behind. This AI training gap is creating confidence challenges, hurting implementation, and holding back productivity gains that AI is otherwise capable of unlocking.
Here are some of the survey highlights—what we learned, what HR teams are asking for, and how we can close the HR AI skills gap.
AI use in HR is widespread—and growing
- 82% of HR professionals say they now use AI at work
- That number jumps to 94% in professional services and 88% in finance
- The most common uses of AI in HR today:
- Analyzing employee feedback (46%)
- Writing job descriptions (46%)
- Designing training materials (45%)
- Onboarding new hires (43%)
- Creating presentations and reports (42%)
- Reviewing resumes (37%)
- Writing employee communications (36%)
- Running talent reviews (36%)
And two-thirds (66%) of respondents say they’ve adopted AI agents, making the leap from tools to full workflows.
But here’s the catch…
Most HR professionals never received proper AI training
Despite high AI usage in HR, only 30% of HR professionals have received comprehensive, job-specific AI training.
The rest are navigating AI with limited support:
- 18% got basic, conceptual training (no hands-on practice)
- 12% received generic AI training not tailored to HR tasks
- 14% sought out and took training on their own
- 26% received no formal AI training at all
This lack of structured learning leaves many flying blind—especially younger workers, with 38% of Gen Z HR professionals saying they’ve never had any formal AI training, making them the least supported generation.
Training makes a huge difference in confidence and impact
Proper AI training matters. Training doesn’t just improve skills—it boosts confidence and productivity.
- 85% of HR pros with job-specific training feel very or completely confident using AI
- Among those who self-trained, that drops to 63%, with 36% saying they’re only “somewhat” confident
- 79% say AI has helped their teams become more productive or even grow headcount
- 69% report that AI freed up time to focus on strategic work, including 83% of those in People Analytics
- 41% say they now work fewer hours thanks to AI
But without the right AI training, HR pros are more likely to misuse tools, feel overwhelmed, or abandon adoption altogether.
What HR teams actually want from AI training
HR professionals aren’t shying away from AI—they’re asking for better tools and clearer guidance:
- 70% want interactive workshops focused on HR use cases
- 63% want regular updates as tools and practices evolve
- 59% of non-users say they need hands-on, HR-specific training just to get started
Here are the top tasks HR teams want to learn to leverage AI for:
- Workforce planning (47%)
- Designing training materials (46%)
- Writing employee communications (42%)
- Writing job descriptions (39%)
- Reviewing resumes (39%)
- Writing performance reviews (37%)
- Creating reports and presentations (36%)
One thing is clear: AI training can’t be about theory. It needs to be about practical skills that can be applied immediately to make work faster, better, and more strategic.
Mandates make things worse, not better
Here’s perhaps one of the biggest surprises from the survey: forcing AI adoption backfires.
At companies that require AI usage:
- 41% of HR pros say AI has actually created more work, pulling them away from other priorities
- 63% worry AI could lead to unfair personnel decisions
- 25% feel AI makes their job harder
- 35% report having no formal training—despite being told to use the tools
By contrast, when AI is encouraged but not forced, HR pros are more likely to embrace it for productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction.
Barriers to entry remain—but they’re solvable
For those who haven’t started using AI, here’s what’s getting in the way:
- 41% worry about data privacy and compliance
- 38% don’t know which tools are best for HR
- 23% haven’t received any training
- 21% lack confidence in using AI properly
- 15% are afraid of making mistakes
- 4% say they simply don’t have time
The solution? Clear, structured, hands-on AI training that demystifies tools, offers real-world examples, and respects the pace and context of HR work.
Industry and generational differences
Survey says… Some sectors are ahead of the curve—others are still catching up.
- Finance (40%) and professional services (46%) are most likely to require AI use
- Healthcare is most likely to ban or discourage AI (17%)—but 80% of healthcare HR pros are using it anyway
- Retail HR has the loosest rules, with only 48% saying AI use is encouraged or required
- Millennials (49%) and Gen Z (48%) are most likely to use unapproved tools, and interestingly, also least likely to have received training (38% for Gen Z, 23% for millennials)
The takeaway: AI use is accelerating across the board, but training and policy aren’t keeping up.
What’s next: Closing the AI training gap for HR (and for all)
These survey results make a solid case that AI in HR is here to stay. It’s transforming workflows, empowering teams, and helping organizations stay competitive. But it’s only as effective as the training that supports it.
HR teams who receive job-specific AI training are 35% more likely to say they are very or completely confident in their AI skills at work than those who learn AI on their own.
Daniele Grassi, CEO, General Assembly
It’s time to give HR the support they need to lead in an AI-powered world—not with mandates or generic videos, but with real, role-specific learning experiences.
That’s where we come in. Whether it’s hands-on, role-specific workshops, custom enterprise training, or strategic implementation support, we’re here to help every HR pro go from AI curious to confident.
Explore our AI Academy, along with our AI for HR Workshop, today.