Key Insights from Workera’s Report
- 56.4% of employees report no allocated time for upskilling.
- Employees cite a lack of resources for learning, including relevant materials.
- Implementing continuous skills assessment could enhance AI upskilling efforts.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a concept of the future; it has firmly established itself in workplaces, influencing how businesses and employees interact and operate. A recent study by Workera indicates that 80% of organizations believe they are on the path toward becoming AI-enabled by 2026, a significant increase from 67% reported last year. However, there appears to be a critical oversight regarding the importance of upskilling their workforce.
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According to the 2026 State of Skills Intelligence Report, published on September 23, a disconnect exists between business leaders and employees when it comes to preparing for an AI-driven environment. Kian Katanforoosh, founder and CEO of Workera, emphasized the necessity for organizations to take proactive measures in facilitating employee development.
In an exclusive interview with ZDNET, Katanforoosh advised leaders to dedicate time for their teams to enhance their skills, rather than assuming employees will adapt independently. He mentioned, “With time comes the psychological safety to experiment with AI.”
The Challenge of AI Upskilling
The demand for AI-related skills is recognized by both employers and employees. Workera’s findings reveal that 67.8% of employees utilize AI tools beyond ChatGPT at least a few days a week, a considerable rise from 39.9% the previous year—representing nearly a 30% increase in AI tool usage.
However, this uptick is shadowed by several challenges. Approximately 56.4% of employees indicated that no time during work hours is allocated for skill enhancement, while 42.5% pointed to a scarcity of useful learning materials as significant barriers to improving their AI competencies. Moreover, over 80% of employees reported spending five hours or less per week on training.
Also: Only 13% of professionals feel confident using AI – strategies from leading companies to bridge this skills gap.
Katanforoosh acknowledged that the process of upskilling can be daunting, with many employees feeling overwhelmed by the plethora of available learning opportunities and the insufficient time provided within their workdays. He noted that the past year has shifted the focus from merely adopting AI to achieving tangible outcomes, which has added to the pressure.
Comparative metrics from the 2026 survey showed little fluctuation from the previous year’s results, revealing that while the adoption of AI is growing, organizations are not adequately addressing the necessary training support. Last year, Workera reported that most employees had not received AI-specific training opportunities; however, nearly 60% of employees stated they had been offered such training in the past year.
Despite an increase in training opportunities, many organizations are not equipping their staff with the resources or time required to effectively integrate AI into their roles. Katanforoosh expressed concern that employees feel constrained by time limitations, stating, “People are feeling cramped; they don’t have the time to learn.” He added that the rapid pace of innovation further complicates the situation.
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Almost half of the employees (46.5%) reported using tools not provided by their employers for skill development, with 74.6% of these individuals opting for mainstream AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Katanforoosh noted the need for organizations to clearly define what being “AI-ready” entails to address the evident gaps in training.
He suggested that organizations establish standards for AI readiness and enable employees to measure their progress against those standards. “If you have a standard, measurement, and a layer of incentives, it encourages individuals to accelerate their own learning,” Katanforoosh explained.
Looking Ahead
Katanforoosh believes that AI should be accessible to all and that effective upskilling can benefit both businesses and employees. He stated, “The amount of AI inefficiency correlates with how well people know to use AI,” emphasizing that investing in employee training can reduce inefficiency.
As organizations strive for success, they require employees skilled in AI, while employees seek acknowledgment and rewards for their contributions. The overarching point is that while AI serves as a valuable asset, its effectiveness relies on the capability of individuals to utilize it to enhance their tasks and workflows. Notably, 76.6% of respondents felt they could perform their jobs better than AI, with only 9.5% believing an AI could effectively handle more than half of their responsibilities.
Also: Insights into how workers are leveraging AI in 2026.
Furthermore, most employees perceive the human element as crucial to AI upskilling. A mere 7% of those surveyed believe that AI can evaluate skills more effectively than humans, while 38.5% assert that AI will never surpass human capability in skill assessment.
As employees express a preference for human management, Workera’s survey suggests that implementing controlled and continuous skill assessments may present a beneficial path forward for all involved.
Workera is currently piloting Ambient, an AI-driven skills assessment tool designed to evaluate skills in real-time, with over 10,000 individuals on its waiting list. Approximately 41.1% of respondents indicated they would be willing to participate in a continuous skills measurement initiative like Ambient if they retained ownership of their data and could control its sharing, while 31.2% remained undecided.
AI and the Future of Work
The report underscores that skill development is among the most effective and economical methods for organizational growth, although many companies lack the means to assess the efficacy of their training methods.
Workera and Katanforoosh are committed to transforming this landscape by enhancing “learning velocity” through initiatives like Ambient. Katanforoosh highlighted that maintaining high learning velocity significantly improves job prospects.
Historically, companies could optimize learning velocity by implementing skill assessments to establish baselines and address gaps promptly. Workera aims to promote a continuous measurement approach, integrating learning with work more closely than ever before.
“By merging work and learning, you’re facilitating exponential learning growth,” Katanforoosh remarked, noting that current AI capabilities allow for better integration of learning with workplace demands.
As privacy and data security remain paramount for companies like Workera, Katanforoosh assured that tools like Ambient are on the horizon and will ultimately serve a positive purpose. “This continuous learning approach will maximize learning velocity and align with the growing familiarity of employees with technology assistance,” he concluded.
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