Forrester’s research has shown that failure to commit to long-term, inclusive AI education, can have a significant impact on an organization.
The research and consulting company, Forrester, published the results of a report that examined the results of employers and their organizations, if there is a failure to promote. AI education throughout the company.
I AIQ 2.0: Workers Are (Still) Not Ready to Succeed with AI for Workers, Report found that while the majority of AI decision makers and their organizations use predictive and GenAI, only half say they provide training in this area to non-technical employees. Because of this, many companies fail to invest in AI understanding, skills and ethics among many employees.
The report said, “Those who have tried to increase skills have not been particularly successful, yet people remain critical to the success of your AI strategy. To empower them, you need to measure your workforce’s readiness with Forrester’s AIQ, the artificial intelligence quotient.”
Employer readiness
According to a previous report released by Forrester, the State of AI 2025 survey, almost 70 percent of AI decision makers say they use GenAI in distributed manufacturing systems, 20pc use it for testing and among automated decision makers, 81pc say AI copies that help workers in their work are important applications.
Forrester suggests that this is indicative of a growing problem where there is a growing disconnect between a company’s AI needs and the actions being taken.
The organization said, “AI is critical to the health of workers and workers must adapt. But adaptation does not come quickly or easily. Many employers remain in an environment of low skills and employee fear that is not compatible with successfully adopting AI in the workforce or driving productivity through its use.”
The study found that the proportion of AI decision-makers in six countries who said their organizations offered in-house AI training to non-technical staff only grew from 47pc in 2024 to 51pc in 2025, an improvement of just 4pc. Also growing by just 4pc, from 19pc to 23pc was the number of AI decision makers who said their organizations offered training in agile engineering. Which Forrester finds is an important skill to use in today’s era of many AI tools.
The element of fear
Forrester also noted that fears about stunt discovery and AI-related job losses are hindering implementation, despite Forrester’s view that “very few jobs will be lost to AI by 2025”. The data showed that future job losses, although possible, are not likely job apocalypse, yet fears persist, due in part to the failure of organizations to properly or consistently discuss and explain the process of introducing AI.
The report said, “Forrester’s 2025 data shows that 43% of workers fear that, in general, many people will lose their jobs to automation in the next five years, while 25% fear that their work will be affected by that time. This creates an environment of fear and mistrust.
“One leader told us, ‘Some of our employees are afraid of losing their jobs, and that’s putting them off AI altogether.’ Organizations that fail to frame AI as an employee opportunity builder and don’t communicate the benefits from an employee perspective see the fear of job loss magnified.”
So, how can fear and anxiety be reduced so that employers and employees can better adapt to the changing environment? According to Forrester’s research, comprehensive learning programs and engagement are essential, the report notes that leading organizations are going beyond formal training and investing in ongoing, continuous learning and peer-based methods that drive discovery and real impact.
Commenting on the report’s findings, JP Gownder, vice president and senior analyst at Forrester said, “Employers aren’t giving their people the skills, understanding, or behavioral foundation they need to succeed with AI and it’s becoming a clear problem for productivity and ROI. Our research shows that many organizations are using AI to leverage employee talent without investing in employees.
“To close the gap, businesses must go beyond high-level training and build continuous, continuous learning that mitigates AI, addresses employee concerns, and develops real skills. This is not about replacing employees, but about enabling them to work smarter with AI.”
“Organizations that treat AI literacy as a priority, not a box-ticking activity, are the ones that will unlock meaningful productivity gains and long-term competitive advantage.”
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