Section, the enterprise AI school, today revealed the findings of its AI Proficiency Report, which shows that most companies are unprepared to deploy AI successfully in 2025. The research, which assessed AI knowledge and skills in 5,000 knowledge workers across the U.S., Canada, and the UK, indicates that a vast majority of the workforce is still in the early stages of AI adoption, with very few possessing the competency to use AI safely and effectively.
1. Key Findings from the AI Proficiency Report
- AI Expertise in the Workforce:
- Only 1% of the workforce are AI experts, and fewer than 10% are highly competent with AI.
- Training Gaps:
- Just 24% of employees have received AI training from their employers, leaving 77% of workers unprepared and lacking the knowledge to integrate AI into their workflows.
- Excitement Around AI:
- Only 23% of employees feel excited about AI’s implications on their jobs, highlighting a gap in positive AI engagement.
2. The Breakdown of AI Competency in the Workforce
Section identified five distinct AI types among workers:
- AI Experts (1%)
- Regular users of AI (67%), save time (57%), and fully trust AI contributions (100%).
- AI Practitioners (8%)
- Skilled users, but not experts.
- AI Experimenters (34%)
- Those testing and exploring AI tools.
- AI Novices (54%)
- Workers still figuring out how to incorporate AI into their daily tasks.
- AI Skeptics (11%)
- Those who are wary or skeptical about AI’s impact on their jobs.
3. Barriers to AI Proficiency and Adoption
- Company Policy:
- Companies without clear AI policies have a high number of AI Skeptics (34%).
- Employees in companies banning AI still use it, but are less proficient (8%).
- Training Access:
- Despite favorable AI policies, 76% of employees have received no formal AI training. Director-level employees are almost three times more proficient than individual contributors.
- Managerial Influence:
- Manager disapproval of AI reduces proficiency, even in organizations with supportive AI policies.
4. Predictions for AI in 2025
Greg Shove, CEO of Section, predicts that over half of enterprise AI/LLM deployments will fail in 2025 due to inadequate training and change management. The lack of employee preparation will result in disappointing ROI from AI deployments.
The Section AI Proficiency Report underscores a critical issue: most employees are unprepared to leverage AI effectively. With insufficient training and a lack of clear policies, companies risk failure in AI deployments. However, with the right support, training, and leadership, AI can be successfully integrated into the workforce, driving productivity and innovation.
