Companies Risk Losing Top Talent Due to AI Skills Gap

The increasingly pronounced gap in AI skills is creating a divided workforce, with most employees facing the risk of falling behind due to reduced access to learning and development, at a time when the application of artificial intelligence and the pace of change in the workplace are rapidly increasing.

PwC’s global survey on employee expectations and fears for 2026, conducted among nearly 50,000 employees in 48 countries and regions, shows growing disparities in optimism regarding career development and employee experiences, in an environment marked by rapid changes, increasing workloads, and rising pressures related to the cost of living.

The difference is particularly pronounced among the 56 percent of employees who belong to the ‘operational core of the business’ group, meaning employees whose skills are less in demand and who have not yet made significant progress on the path to adopting artificial intelligence (AI). Only two out of five employees from this group believe they have access to the necessary resources for learning and development.

On the other hand, everyday users of artificial intelligence express a higher level of confidence in job stability, are more likely to trust management, and are more confident in their ability to develop new skills.

– Employees are facing increasing pressures caused by rising workloads, rapid changes, and external uncertainties. However, those who use artificial intelligence daily show a greater level of confidence, ambition, and optimism regarding their careers and future opportunities. The challenge for leaders is to continue developing these employees without compromising the rest of the workforce, said Pete Brown, Global Leader of Workforce Services at PwC.

The Application of AI Continues to Grow

Despite the growth in AI applications, significant pressures on employees are also increasing. Only a third report that they have money left at the end of the month, which is 8 percent less than the previous year.

At the same time, nearly a third of respondents (29 percent) believe they have significantly less bargaining power today than three years ago, which is more than double the number of those who disagree with that statement. Among employees who work exclusively remotely, this share is higher by an additional 10 percentage points.

When it comes to the biggest risks to job stability, more employees cite economic instability (57 percent) as a threat than the fact that artificial intelligence is taking over more tasks (44 percent). Members of Generation Z express greater concern regarding all these indicators.

Three-fifths (58 percent) of employees who have experienced changes in the workplace believe that there have been more changes in the past year than in previous years. Nearly a third (27 percent) report that feelings of fatigue or burnout limit their productivity.

The vast majority of employees also report that they had to apply new skills in their jobs over the past year, with two-fifths (40 percent) stating that this was to a large or very large extent.

Changes are occurring even faster at the management levels. More than half of senior executives (51 percent) and 46 percent of managers report that they have applied new skills in their roles, compared to 29 percent of employees who are not in management positions and 38 percent of employees at entry-level positions.

However, as employees feel increasing pressure, the growth in the application of artificial intelligence continues. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of employees report that they have used artificial intelligence at work in the past 12 months, representing a 10 percentage point increase compared to last year. The share of those who use generative artificial intelligence daily has risen from 14 percent to 22 percent. About three-fifths of employees (59 percent) expect their use of AI tools to increase over the next 12 months. This group reports that using artificial intelligence gives them energy and a sense of empowerment, rather than fatigue and helplessness, at a ratio of approximately five to one.

The survey results show that everyday users of artificial intelligence are significantly more optimistic about the future of their jobs. Sixty-eight percent express confidence in job stability, compared to 57 percent of occasional users. They are also significantly more likely to seek promotions (+12 percentage points), have more trust in senior management (+15), and are more confident that they can develop new skills (+21).

New Workforce Division

Although employees generally express a high level of confidence in their ability to develop skills (61 percent), only half of them (51 percent) report that they have access to the necessary resources for learning and development, representing a decline from 59 percent the previous year. To analyze these differences in more detail, PwC divided employees into four groups:

• Frontrunners (14 percent) – employees with rare and sought-after skills and strong AI competencies
• AI Insurgents (18 percent) – employees whose skills are less rare but use artificial intelligence to achieve better results
• Indispensables (11 percent) – employees with skills that employers highly value but who have not yet made significant progress on the path to adopting artificial intelligence
• The Engine Room (56 percent) – employees whose skills are not rare and who have not yet made significant progress on the path to adopting artificial intelligence.

According to the survey results, employers should pay special attention to the ‘operational core of the business’ group. Employees from this group are less likely to be rewarded for applying artificial intelligence, developing new skills, or rethinking existing ways of working. At the same time, they make up the majority of the workforce and perform the largest share of daily activities within organizations.

On the other hand, employees from the ‘frontrunners’ group reap significant benefits due to their position. They most frequently report being rewarded for rethinking existing ways of working (1.5 times more often than the global average) and for developing new skills (1.2 times more often than the global average). They are also 33 percentage points more likely than other employees to intend to seek a promotion.

An additional challenge for employers is retaining their most valuable employees. Nearly a third (29 percent) of employees from the ‘frontrunners’ group report that it is very or extremely likely that they will change employers in the next year.

– While discussions about artificial intelligence often revolve around technology, this research shows that the real challenge is primarily human. Employees feel increasing pressure, while access to learning and development is simultaneously decreasing. Organizations therefore need to shift their focus from the question of who will adopt AI the fastest to how to ensure that no one is left behind. Companies that succeed in involving a broader range of employees in learning, development, and the application of new technologies will be better positioned to attract and retain talent and successfully manage change, concluded Tamara Maćašović, Managing Partner at PwC Croatia and Partner responsible for people and talent activities.