Nearly half of CEOs plan upskilling, reskilling initiatives for workers to keep up with AI

CEOs worldwide report that artificial intelligence is transforming customer service, core operations, decision-making, and product innovation. A survey of 1,200 CEOs across 21 countries finds that 80% accelerated AI investment compared with 2025. Nearly all CEOs expect AI to change workforce strategy within three years. Satisfaction with existing AI regulatory frameworks is low, with only 19% expressing approval. CEOs cite pressure to keep up with AI while avoiding overspending, alongside rising data privacy risks. Value creation hurdles include limited AI skills, prompting reskilling and upskilling plans, redesigning roles to combine human and AI capabilities, and increased hiring for AI, data, and digital roles. Cultural change and communication are emphasized as key challenges.

"AI is moving quickly, and companies are under pressure to keep up without overspending. It is driving competition, lifting expectations for personalization and demanding investment before the benefits are proven, while also increasing data privacy risks."

"Managing a large-scale reskilling effort at an established industrial company like ours is more of a cultural challenge than a technical one. To move from a traditional manufacturing mindset to an AI-augmented one, leadership must focus on consistently communicating that AI is a tool for the craftsman, not a replacement for the craft."

"Nearly all CEOs (99%) expect that AI will change their workforce strategy over the next three years. Still, only one-fifth (19%) of CEOs are satisfied with the AI regulatory frameworks that exist today."

"When it comes to the main hurdles of generating value with AI, 20% of CEOs attributed their constraints to limited AI skills among the workforce. As a result, leaders are rethinking the roles of employees and new hires."

Read at Fast Company