While businesses race to adopt new tech, AI training is slipping through the cracks—right when workers need support to meet business objectives, according to experts.

As organizations balance the benefits of artificial and human intelligence, some executives are replacing staff with technology. However, Gary Lamach, senior vice president of strategy and growth at training platform ELB Learning, believes that cutting people without reskilling those who remain isn’t innovation—it’s negligence. He points out that many companies are automating faster than they’re educating, which may be a recipe for disengagement, inefficiency and long-term talent gaps.

Meanwhile, Mary Alice Vuicic, chief people officer at Thomson Reuters, has consulted research on how this dynamic plays out across many organizations. She says there is a “widening competitive gap” between firms with an AI training strategy and those without.

AI training is a mindset

The numbers support this divide. Thomson Reuters’ 2025 Future of Professionals report on data from 2,275 professional services employees worldwide reveals that organizations with visible AI strategies are twice as likely to experience revenue growth compared to those with informal adoption approaches.

Yet, 31% of organizations still have no significant plans for AI adoption. Why is that?

“The most common misconception is that AI transformation begins and ends with tool adoption,” Lamach says. “In reality, successful transformation starts with mindset.” He says that HR leaders must reinforce a company culture that embraces AI, communicating the tech as an enabler, not a threat.

Lamach has seen that some organizations bypass this phase and move straight to implementing tools or limited training programs. This leads to resistance, superficial understanding and companies struggling to demonstrate ROI on their AI investment.

An environment of enablement

Vuicic’s AI rollout at Thomson Reuters illustrates the positive alternative, demonstrating how training opens the doors to successful integration of artificial intelligence in the business. “At Thomson Reuters, we wanted to give people back power to grow and adapt,” she explains.

Vuicic, who leads HR and communications, positioned AI innovation as enabling employees to move from repetitive tasks to strategic partnerships and complex problem-solving. Vuicic says that employees have told her that using AI to knock out “joyless” work enables them to do the work that they went to school for.

Working with Fortune 500 companies such as Verizon and 3M, Lamach has witnessed successful organizations implementing AI readiness through intentional layering. “First, we build curiosity and psychological safety, encouraging teams to see AI as a co-pilot rather than a competitor,” he explains.

Key touchpoints for AI integration

He says these high-performing companies invest in upskilling programs that blend AI literacy with role-specific applications, such as using generative AI for content creation, coding support or decision augmentation. One standout pattern is cross-functional enablement. “When you embed AI fluency into marketing, finance, operations and beyond, it ensures the toolset is democratized and not siloed,” Lamach notes.

Vuicic’s company implemented a similar phased approach that she calls the four T’s for effective AI integration. Embraced and reinforced by both HR and IT, these touchpoints are:

• tone from the top
• training at all levels
• tools for hands-on experience
• time to experiment

The result? By the end of 2025, 100% of Thomson Reuters’ employees will be regularly using AI, which will be evaluated by usage data provided to managers, according to Vuicic.

The data backs the value of a layered commitment to AI integration across the organization. Thomson Reuters research shows that companies making operational changes—adjusting workflows, adding new roles and altering service delivery—are seeing more ROI gains than those that haven’t begun their transformation. The survey reveals that over half of professionals (53%) report that their organizations are already experiencing ROI from their AI initiatives, either directly or indirectly.

Read more | AI literacy: What Amazon learned from training 2 million people

The $32 billion impact of AI

The stakes of neglecting AI’s benefits are becoming clearer, according to research findings. Legal professionals surveyed by Thomson Reuters say they expect to free up nearly 240 hours per year through AI adoption, up from 200 hours in 2024. This unlocks an average annual value of $19,000 per professional, contributing to a $32 billion combined annual impact for legal and tax and accounting sectors in the U.S. alone, according to Thomson Reuters, based on the current predicted pace of AI adoption.

Vuicic says that companies experiencing the benefits are seeing revenue growth. In contrast, others “struggle to retain top talent who are demanding access to AI tools.”

However, an AI-ready workforce is not simply tech-savvy, Lamach says. “It is adaptable, collaborative and experimental.” He suggests an empowered workforce possesses the acumen to welcome continuous change, the capacity to work alongside AI and the skills to leverage tools without dependence on technical experts.

Experiential learning and AI training

The Thomson Reuters research reveals that 96% of professionals have at least basic AI awareness, but 71% feel they don’t have a good understanding of practical applications for artificial intelligence. This gap becomes critical when considering that professionals with good or expert AI knowledge are 2.8 times more likely to see organizational benefits compared to those with basic knowledge, according to the report.

Companies will fall short by assuming readiness is achieved through one-off training or software licenses, says Lamach. He suggests that true momentum requires ongoing capability building that is integrated into the flow of work, supported by feedback loops and measurable behavior change.

“It is about habits, not checklists,” Lamach emphasizes.

Both leaders stress the importance of experiential learning. Lamach says immersive and adaptive training environments play a critical role in developing both the “mindset and muscle memory” needed for AI collaboration. “Adaptive learning ensures the skill set training is personalized and job-specific, meeting learners at their current level and moving them efficiently,” Lamach says.

Thomson Reuters’ approach included secure sandbox environments where employees could experiment without risk. The firm’s research shows that professionals who feel encouraged to explore new ways of working are 1.9 times more likely to see benefits from AI adoption.

HR and L&D leaders need to reframe AI from what it replaces to what it unlocks. “This starts with reshaping mindsets, communicating that AI removes the repetitive so people can focus on the rewarding,” Lamach explains.