The Pace of AI Change Outruns Training

Accenture Pulse of Change Survey Shows Two-Thirds of Employees Feel Unprepared for the C-Suite's AI-Driven Future

Monday 17 November 2025 21:34
The Pace of AI Change Outruns Training

Background

Accenture's latest survey, Pulse of Change 2025, conducted among 3,000 C-suite leaders and 3,000 non-C-suite level employees from the world's largest organizations across 22 industries and 18 countries found an "AI Readiness Gap" emerging in the workplace as C-suite leaders are accelerating AI investment and transformation — 67% viewing AI as a catalyst for revenue growth—but failing to adequately train and prepare their workforce for an AI future.

Most C-suite leaders (85%) are planning to increase AI investments in 2025. This commitment is robust, as nearly half would expect to accelerate AI investment if a recession were to occur. While, only 34% of organizations plan to upskill and reskill their employees for AI-enhanced work. With C-suite leaders prioritizing AI deployment over talent upskilling, a gap between organizations' technology capabilities and workforce readiness is taking shape.

Although more than half of employees (53%) believe their organization is well prepared to respond to change in the next six months. However, confidence drops when it comes to specific areas of disruption — particularly compared to C-suite sentiment. Two-thirds of employees agree that the pace of change in the AI environment is moving faster than their organization's ability to train and prepare the workforce.

This significant gap is also evident in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, according to surveys of 700 C-suite leaders and 713 employees. What sets APAC apart is not just its pace of change, but its bold mindset. A majority of APAC C-suite leaders (86%) plan to increase AI investments in 2025, but 41% are prioritizing employee upskilling and reskilling to enable and support this transformation, even as employees actively embrace the technology.

These gaps are obstacles for organizations to fully leverage AI meant to enhance resilience and drive growth. The challenge now lies in aligning leadership's vision for AI with workforce readiness, as gaps in upskilling and training can undermine the success of AI adoption in many organizations.

Key Global Findings

AI Investment Acceleration vs. Workforce Preparation

  • 85% of C-suite executives plan to increase AI investments in 2025, with 20% already redesigning processes around AI—a rate that has doubled in six months.
  • 67% see AI more as a catalyst for driving revenue growth than as a tool for cost reduction.
  • 86% claim they are preparing their workforce for agentic AI.
  • On the other hand, only 34% plan to upskill or reskill employees for AI-enhanced work.

These disconnects are leading to a shared anxiety around AI readiness, where today's workforce feels unprepared for the AI-driven future their C-suites are actively building.

Workforce Anxiety and Readiness

  • As leaders hedge against policy changes and market volatility, over half of employees have encountered tighter budget restrictions at work, and 47% have experienced an increased workload or pressure due to global uncertainties.
  • Two-thirds of employees feel the pace of AI change is outpacing their organization's ability to train them.
  • 3 in 4 of executives also share this concern, highlighting a widespread readiness gap.
  • Employees feel less prepared than executives across key disruptions in technological, economic, and environmental areas.
  • Employees are more cautious than leaders about AI's benefits:
  • Building trust: 36% of employees strongly agree vs. 52% of C-suite leaders.
  • Skill improvement: 49% of employees strongly agree vs. 59% of C-suite leaders.
  • Reinforcing the principles, values or ethics for organization: 38% of employees strongly agree vs. 55% of C-suite leaders.

Training and Talent Strategy Misalignment

  • Nearly 1 in 3 C-suite leaders said capitalizing on advances in technology was the primary reason for increasing AI investment, while only 12% considered improving skills as the main driver.
  • However, nearly half of employees see training as key to AI confidence, but only 15% of C-suite leaders see training programs as the most effective way to scale AI.
  • 25% of employees not using gen AI tools stated the main obstacle was a "lack of resources for training support."

Emerging Workplace Dynamics Use of AI

  • 54% of employees now turn to AI tools over human colleagues for support.
  • 56% of employees report time savings from AI, and 38% say it boosts productivity.
  • However, only 22% say AI is transforming their certain tasks or processes.
  • Employee trust and access remain barriers as only 35% feel comfortable delegating tasks to AI agents and Just 32% said they had full access to gen AI tools—highlighting readiness gap and a need for broader enablement.

Key Findings in APAC

  • The AI Investment trend is mirrored in the APAC region, where 86% of C-suite executives also plan to increase AI investments, yet only 41% plan to upskill or reskill their employees.
  • C-suite leaders recognize the impact of this technology, with 58% reporting the greatest productivity gains in areas like IT/tech function, followed by operations (43%) and R&D (41%).
  • However, nearly three-quarters of employees feel the pace of AI change is outpacing their organization's ability to train them.
  • The readiness gap is apparent in APAC, just about half (48%) of employees say they have a moderate understanding of the potential value creation from gen AI. In addition, 46% emphasize the need for clear company guidelines on how to use AI responsibly.
  • APAC's workforce is eager but unprepared for the AI-driven future their leaders are building. APAC employees are increasingly embracing AI, with 55% saying they turn to AI first when they need task support, rather than seeking help from a colleague or team member. Data analysis is most common use case, cited by 51% of employees, followed by learning and development, and research.
  • AI has had a noticeable impact on employee performance and development, with 57% reporting that AI helps them learn or improve their skills and 51% say AI helps them make better, more informed decisions.
  • Employees are also actively pursuing learning opportunities outside of work to improve their AI skills and understanding by turning to external sources, with 57% engaging with online courses or tutorials and 52% turning to blogs and social media.

Path to Unlock Future Readiness

  1. Strengthen Organizational Preparedness with Clear Communication: Leaders must proactively communicate how global and technological changes like AI integration, may impact the workforce, addressing concerns around job security, compensation, and hiring plans. Transparent dialogue and guidance helps bridge the perception gap between employees and executives, fostering trust and stability during transitions.
  2. Prioritize Capability Building for AI Integration: Invest in targeted training, skill development, and data security education to empower employees and ensure they're equipped to thrive in an AI-enhanced environment.
  3. Foster Trust in AI agent: Encourage 'Human-AI Collaboration' approach where employees feel comfortable delegating tasks to AI agents, while maintaining the significance of human roles. Ensure that the role of AI agents is clearly communicated to all employees.
  4. Align Leadership Vision with Employee Experience: Despite growing optimism around AI's potential, employees remain more cautious than their leaders. Leaders must align their strategic vision with experience of their workforce—ensuring that AI transformation is inclusive, well-communicated, and grounded in employee needs.

Anoop Sagoo, CEO, Southeast Asia, Accenture, said: "Southeast Asia is operating in a time of continuous disruption, where change is now the only constant. Across the region, we're seeing strong momentum behind AI investments, but enthusiasm alone doesn't drive impact. Many leaders are still underinvesting in workforce training, creating a readiness gap that limits AI's true potential. When employees show a willingness to adapt, it's not just a signal — it's an opportunity to build the skills needed to fully harness AI."

Patama Chantaruck, Country Managing Director, Accenture Thailand, said: "As AI investment and transformation accelerate globally, talent shortages are a key barrier to adoption. Organizations must proactively invest in reskilling and continuous learning. A people-first culture where employees are empowered to embrace AI — not fear it — is key. By integrating human and AI roles, leaders can build trust, reduce resistance, and create a future where technology enhances — rather than replaces — human potential."