Two-thirds of HR professionals believe colleagues not already using AI risk falling behind, potentially creating a ‘two-tier workforce’
One in three practitioners say no-one currently owns AI strategy at their organisation
Two thirds (67%) of HR professionals believe that colleagues who aren’t already using AI risk falling behind, potentially creating a ‘two-tier workforce’ in the process.
This is based on recent survey findings from people performance platform Culture Amp which also show that despite 79% of HR professionals regularly using generative AI to improve their efficiency at work, 77% of those using the technology are self-taught, suggesting a shortfall in formal AI training across organisations.
The global data – gathered from 237 HR professionals between 23rd May 2025 and 4th June 2025 – shows disparity over who currently leads AI strategy within organisations.
For almost a quarter (24%) of respondents, responsibility for driving the technology forward sits with IT / engineering. Elsewhere, it rests with executive leadership (21%); R&D / innovation (6%) or other departments (10%). Only 3% of the HRs questioned have AI within their remit.
Alarmingly for corporates’ AI risk management, governance and regulatory obligations around the EU AI Act, one in three (35%) of those surveyed said that no-one currently owns AI strategy at their organisation.
This leaves a significant strategic void and sparks debate over who should guide AI’s integration into workplace practices and how AI transforms the way we work.
“As People leaders, we can’t afford to be on the sidelines. If AI is going to reshape work as we know it, and it will, then it’s our business,” says Justin Angsuwat, Chief People Officer at Culture Amp.
“We don’t need to be prompt engineers, but we do need to ‘get on the tools’. People say ‘if you haven’t written 100 prompts, your opinion doesn’t matter’, and there’s a lot of truth to that. You can’t lead what you don’t understand.”
“This isn’t a change we can manage with a traditional project plan. The first step is to build AI literacy across the organisation, starting with ourselves. Experiment. Add AI questions to your engagement surveys. Get in the room where decisions are being made around AI.”
Despite these concerns, 91% of HR professionals plan to increase their use of generative AI over the next year, with 47% believing it will increase the perceived value of HR expertise in their organisation. Notably, 68% of VPs who are HR professionals agree with this, while just 39% of those in the c-suite hold the same belief.
Arne Sjostrom, regional director people science EMEA, Culture Amp adds: ‘A lack of formal training is concerning, especially given the requirements of the EU AI Act which include a need for ‘meaningful human oversight’ and competence to properly understand, manage, and mitigate risks associated with high risk AI systems.
“It is essential that HR professionals understand the limitations of AI, can recognize potential biases, and are equipped to oversee AI-driven decisions responsibly. Because HR frequently implements high-risk AI systems, it is crucial for HR to take a clear stance and play an active, informed role in the oversight and responsible use of AI.”
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