Research shows AI at risk of stagnation

Our latest study reveals a growing gap between leadership ambition and employee reality, warning that AI implementation without full adoption risks AI stagnation and business growth.

Our new study exposes a significant gap between the ambitious AI adoption goals of company leaders and the reality experienced by employees. Conducted by CensusWide, our research surveyed 200 CTOs and COOs, as well as 1,000 white-collar workers, shedding light on the growing disconnect between leadership and the workforce when it comes to AI integration.

Bridging the AI Adoption Gap

The findings highlight a critical issue: while 61% of CTOs and COOs view AI as a competitive advantage, only 17% of organisations have fully integrated AI into their operations. Even more concerning, 49% of employees feel their concerns about AI adoption are not sufficiently heard by management, resulting in a trust gap that threatens the long-term success of AI initiatives. Without a strategy that fosters broad adoption and trust, AI risks becoming an underutilised tool rather than a transformative asset.

“Businesses need to go beyond viewing AI as just another tool for incremental efficiency,” said our CEO Tom Laranjo. “AI adoption should be about unlocking new ways of working, problem-solving, and decision-making. Organisations that embrace AI as a strategic enabler—rather than just a cost-saver—will lead the industries of the future.”

Key Findings

• Leadership vs Workforce Disconnect: While 61% of leadership sees AI as a strategic competitive advantage, a significant 67.5% of employees feel underprepared and uninformed about AI-related decisions. This growing trust gap poses a serious risk to successful AI adoption.
• Efficiency Over Innovation: Many organisations prioritise AI-driven efficiency (26%) over using AI to foster innovation and excellence (15%). This short-term approach limits AI’s potential to drive long-term growth and competitive advantage.
• Regional Disparities: Employees in the South West, Midlands, and East of England report higher levels of concern about AI’s impact on jobs, while London workers, though less concerned, also rate themselves as having lower proficiency in AI tools. The West Midlands and Northern Ireland are leading in workplace AI usage, while the South East and South West lag behind, underscoring a gap in both proficiency and practical integration.
• Integration Challenges: Despite widespread optimism from leadership, only 17% of organisations have fully integrated AI into their operations. A key barrier to adoption is the lack of skilled talent, with 39% of organisations citing this as a challenge.
• AI Ethics and Governance Tensions: The research reveals regional differences in attitudes toward AI governance, with Scotland 1.9 times more likely to favour external AI oversight. Meanwhile, 27% of leaders believe AI ethics should be controlled by senior management, but employees are less inclined to trust senior leadership with these responsibilities. Instead, 25% of employees support the creation of a dedicated AI ethics committee, and 23% favour external regulatory bodies. This divide signals a growing concern over transparency and the need for more inclusive discussions on AI ethics.
• Employee Exclusion from AI Ethics Discussions: Many organisations lack structured ethical frameworks for AI, and employees feel disconnected from decisions that impact their work. Without a clear governance structure, AI adoption may be met with resistance, rather than embraced as an innovation driver.

Driving True AI Adoption with Ethics and Engagement

“AI is too often implemented, not adopted,” said our Innovation & Strategy Director, Dr. Alexandra Dobra-Kiel. “This detached approach risks AI becoming a fragmented tool confined to isolated pockets of the business. AI’s true potential lies in elevating us toward a new horizon of human excellence, not just efficiency.  But this requires us to move beyond mere implementation. We must motivate teams to embrace AI as an enabler, provide the proficiency to leverage it, and instill ethical responsibility in its development. Only then can we achieve true adoption.”

“Without a nuanced approach to AI ethics, organisations risk creating a ‘black box’—a tool deployed without sufficient transparency or understanding, which can stifle adoption and innovation” added Dr. Alexandra Dobra-Kiel. “We must transcend the shallowness of checklists and regulatory compliance. True ethics demands open discourse, questioning our deepest assumptions, and a profound consideration of AI’s impact on both those who create it and those it affects. Ethical AI adoption is not a matter of rules, but of conscience.”

To help organisations bridge the AI trust gap and move from implementation to full adoption, we have developed Reveal-AI Adoption™, a behavioural-first solution that ensures AI is adopted with a clear focus on motivation, proficiency, and ethical responsibility.

For more information on our research, please register your interest in our upcoming white paper here.

First published in HR Review.