^{Chapter 1:}
The Tech Gap: Positioning AI
as a tool, not a replacement

^{Chapter 1:}

The Tech Gap: Positioning AI as a tool, not a replacement

AI is no longer a future concept. It is already changing how work gets done. Faster workflows, data-driven decisions, and new revenue streams are just the beginning. To some, AI is a smart upgrade. To others, it is a threat to job security.

Our research shows that the real threat is the technology gap: a lack of trust, training, and support that prevents organizations from reaching their full potential.

AI will reshape work, not erase jobs.

Not all jobs are equally vulnerable to AI and automation. The impact hits harder in some industries, particularly among manufacturing workers. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of business professional and industrial executives say AI or automation is prompting job cuts, and 37% say those plans are already underway. But only 43% of workers in these sectors expect layoffs tied to new tech.

By contrast, STEM executives are less likely to predict job loss due to AI. Only 8% say job cuts are ahead, but STEM workers are not as reassured. More than one in five (21%) believe technology or AI will shrink their teams.

This is the tech gap in action: leaders and workers hold different expectations about the scale of disruption, which complicates planning and fuels uncertainty.

Adoption is survival in the age of AI.

Business professional and industrial sectors may face greater disruption, but executives across industries see AI as a chance for growth — if workers are willing to adapt.

Nearly seven in ten (69%) global executives say refusing to adopt AI is a greater threat to someone’s job than AI itself. Still, most workers are not convinced. Nearly half (49%) of global workers say AI does not pose a significant threat to their jobs.

Here, the tech gap shows up differently: not in predictions of layoffs, but in attitudes toward adoption. Leaders see adoption as essential. Workers remain skeptical.

Nearly seven in ten (69%) global executives say refusing to adopt AI is a greater threat to someone’s job than AI itself."

Only

4%

of business professional and industrial executives say they are not implementing AI.

AI adoption starts with trust: Building your team’s confidence.

69%

of STEM executives say the real threat isn’t AI itself, but resistance to it.

59%

of business professional and industrial leaders agree, saying they are likely to replace workers who refuse to adopt AI.

63%

of STEM workers don’t believe AI will replace them, but someone who masters it might.

42%

of business professional and industrial workers believe the same, that reluctant adapters risk being replaced by AI-savvy talent.

Leaders see AI as a win for efficiency, workers remain hesitant.

AI tools are already in place at most organizations. Executives see great promise in the technology, but the return on investment often falls short. Workers say they are not seeing the promised time savings — often because no one has shown them how to use the tools effectively.

Seventy percent of global executives say AI should free up time for employees to focus on collaboration, mentoring, or sharing knowledge. Still, less than half (47%) of talent say they are getting that time back.

Leaders report two main barriers to AI adoption: vendor challenges and user adoption. Technical problems, security risks, and disconnected systems slow down implementation for nearly half (47%) of leaders in business professional and industrial sectors. Another third (32%) say employees are slow to adopt the tools. The technology is available, but without clear guidance and support, workers fail to experience the promised benefits.

Bridging this gap requires more than better tools. Leaders need to stay aligned with employees through surveys, check-ins, and shared goals, so adoption challenges are spotted early and addressed before trust erodes.

Check out how Kelly helps close adoption gaps with hands-on support.

Without skills, AI can’t deliver.

AI can be a powerful tool, but it only works if people know how to use it. Half of STEM executives (51%) say their employees lack AI skills, and 42% of STEM workers say the same. The gap is even wider in business professional and industrial roles where 80% of executives say implementation stalls because teams lack the expertise to use the tools effectively.

Among business professional and industrial executives:

47%

say technical challenges slowed implementation.

32%

say adoption is slow or low among users.

30%

say employees are confused by the tools.

This is not just about adoption. It is about building skills for the future. Companies that do not prepare their people risk slower growth and wasted investments.

Here, the tech gap runs straight into the talent gap. Closing it means more than a short training course. It requires linking AI skills to hiring, career paths, and long-term workforce planning.

Top skills that recent graduates bring to the workforce, according to global executives:

59%

Digital fluency

45%

Data literacy

STEM executives’ anticipated disruptions over the next five years:

Key Takeaways: How to turn AI anxiety into confidence and skills.

Prepare people for the future: Build AI into hiring, career paths, and everyday learning so employees see growth, not dead ends.
Close the trust gap: Address fears directly with guided onboarding, hands-on demos and clear communication that shows employees how AI helps them succeed.
Align leaders and workers: Compare perceptions regularly through surveys, one-on-one meetings and shared planning goals to prevent disconnects on adoption and outcomes.
Focus where risk is highest: Use workforce data to identify jobs most vulnerable to disruption, like frontline manufacturing roles, and give them proactive support before gaps appear.
Evolve faster than the tools: Keep AI strategies flexible. Update skills, processes, and partnerships to match the pace of innovation.
Measure what matters: Track ROI by looking at both productivity gains and employee experience. Success means workers see the benefits, not just leaders.