Executives may believe their workforce is energized about AI—but a new survey from Harvard Business Review shows they may be misreading the room,
While 76% of executives say employees are enthusiastic about AI adoption, only 31% of frontline employees agree. That perception gap extends across every measure of readiness, according the results: Most leaders think workers are well-informed, engaged and heard in AI-related decisions, yet employees report confusion, anxiety and limited involvement.
The article notes that 80% of executives believe employee perspectives shape AI decisions, compared with just 27% of individual contributors, highlighting a major disconnect that could derail even the strongest technology strategy.
But the research also points to an overlooked advantage: Organizations that prioritize employee needs are seven times more likely to achieve AI maturity. These companies treat AI as a tool to improve work—not just efficiency—and rely on transparency, co-creation and continuous feedback.
As the authors argue, the future of AI success isn’t about smarter systems; it’s about leaders building more human-centered organizations.
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