AI Readiness 2025

AI Readiness 2025: The Persistence Gap

Executive Summary

Nearly three years after ChatGPT's November 2022 launch transformed the AI landscape, a new study of business leaders reveals a striking contradiction: while AI tool usage has surged among leadership, skepticism about AI's workplace impact persists at concerning levels. This research examines how organizational decision-makers view AI's role in their companies and uncovers a significant "persistence gap" between technological adoption and realistic impact assessment.

Comparing these 2025 findings to our 2023 AI Readiness study, the data reveals that while personal AI adoption has dramatically increased, fundamental attitudes about AI's workplace impact have remained remarkably unchanged—suggesting a troubling persistence of optimism bias among organizational leaders despite nearly three years of rapid AI development.

The findings suggest that nearly half of business leaders may be underestimating AI's transformative potential, with significant implications for organizational preparedness and strategic planning.

Study Demographics

This research surveyed 1,251 executives, directors, and managers across diverse industries and company sizes during June 2025. Respondents represented organizations ranging from small businesses to large enterprises.

Leadership Roles Surveyed

Company Size Distribution

The Adoption Paradox

79.5%

of business leaders personally use AI tools

Up from majority having no experience in 2023

High Personal Usage, Persistent Skepticism

Nearly 80% of business leaders now personally use AI tools—a dramatic transformation from our 2023 study where 73% of leaders had minimal to no experience with AI tools. This widespread adoption spans across all leadership levels and company sizes, indicating that AI familiarity is no longer limited to tech-forward organizations.

Personal AI Tool Usage vs. Belief in Job Impact

        The Paradox: Despite this dramatic surge in hands-on experience since 2023, a substantial
        portion of leaders remain skeptical about AI's transformative potential in their organizations—suggesting that
        personal usage alone doesn't translate to strategic understanding, even after nearly three years of AI
        revolution.
      

The Impact Denial Phenomenon

46.2%

of leaders either don't believe AI will impact their job or are uncertain

Personal Job Impact: The Critical 46%

When asked whether AI will impact their own roles, 46% of leaders either don't believe it will or are uncertain. This finding is particularly striking given that these same leaders are actively using AI tools in their work. Remarkably, this skepticism persists despite two years of rapid AI advancement since our 2023 study when 54% of leaders believed AI would impact their jobs—virtually identical to today's 54%.

Will AI Impact Your Job?

The Employment Impact Disconnect

Perhaps more concerning is leaders' perspective on AI's broader employment impact. When asked about potential job displacement over the next three years, the data shows a troubling consistency with 2023 findings where 50% didn't believe AI would replace employees. Today, 56% either don't expect replacement or remain uncertain:

56.4%

of leaders don't expect job replacement or are uncertain about it

Will AI Replace Employees in Next 3 Years?

Skills and Readiness Assessment

Leaders' self-assessed AI competency reveals significant progress from our 2023 baseline, where 73% had minimal to no experience. Today's assessment shows:

Self-Assessed AI Skills Level (2025)

While these numbers represent substantial improvement from 2023 when 31% had no experience and 32% were beginners, they also highlight that nearly one-third of business leaders still lack confidence in their AI capabilities, even as they use these tools regularly.

Employee Awareness and Receptiveness

Leadership's Perception of Workforce Readiness

Leaders' estimates of employee awareness reveal concerning trends about organizational communication and preparation efforts.

Employee Receptiveness to AI

Executive Receptiveness to AI

Notably, executive-level receptiveness shows higher enthusiasm, with 64% being either excited or cautiously optimistic, compared to employee receptiveness levels.

The Strategic Implications

The Preparation Gap

The research reveals a critical preparation gap in organizational AI readiness. While technical adoption is advancing rapidly, strategic thinking about AI's transformative impact lags significantly behind.

        Key Risk: Organizations may be underpreparing employees for AI-driven role changes if
        leadership underestimates the scope of impact.
      

Recommendations for Organizational Leaders

Reality Assessment: Conduct honest evaluations of AI's potential impact on specific business functions
Scenario Planning: Develop multiple scenarios for AI integration with aggressive timelines
Workforce Communication: Initiate transparent dialogues about AI strategy and potential role changes
Skills Development: Implement comprehensive AI literacy programs beyond tool usage
Change Readiness: Prepare adaptive change management frameworks

Conclusion: The Urgency of Realistic Planning

The 2025 AI Readiness study reveals a critical juncture for organizational leadership. While AI adoption has reached impressive levels, the persistence of impact skepticism among decision-makers creates a strategic vulnerability.

46%

underestimate AI's impact on their own roles

57%

underestimate broader employment implications

The challenge for business leaders is to move beyond the comfort of current AI usage patterns and engage with the more complex strategic questions about AI's transformative potential. What makes this particularly urgent is that despite nearly three years of unprecedented AI development since our 2023 study, leadership attitudes about AI's impact have remained remarkably static. The organizations that successfully bridge this persistence gap will be better positioned for the AI-driven business landscape ahead.

As AI capabilities continue expanding at an unprecedented pace, the window for gradual organizational adjustment may be narrower than many leaders currently anticipate. The time for realistic, comprehensive AI impact planning is now.