Improving AI Adoption
According to The Conference Board, CEOs for the first time see artificial intelligence as the biggest risk, exceeding the potential harm to their industries from geopolitical turmoil, cyber intrusions, and financial and economic instability. Consequently, they are planning to boost capital spending from 22% to 35% in the current quarter. Overall, however, the confidence of CEOs has risen to the highest level since the first quarter of 2025.
On the other side of the coin, however, employees say that AI does more harm than good, pointing to an increased pace of adoption of AI but insufficient employer support. This is a reversal from just a year ago, so management has work to do if they intend to continue the implementation of AI.
According to Gartner, the key to successful adoption of AI is for HR to empower managers instead of relying on employees to educate themselves. Around half of managers surveyed in 2025 said they were experimenting with AI to see how it could improve their work, whereas just over a quarter of employees said the same. Along that same line, however, only 14% of nearly 2000 managers said they do not have “any challenges in driving effective use of AI across their teams.” Garner further notes that means HR has the opportunity to offer support to managers to improve integration of AI more broadly, including such actions as
Tailoring AI training and support to the specific motivations and challenges of different teams
Preparing managers to handle emotional resistance to AI changes
Coaching managers on how to communicate the upward value of AI