AI Investment Is Rising, But Employees Still Need Time to Learn
- 5 Min Read
Research from Slalom shows a growing gap between AI investment and workforce readiness, with many UK organisations providing employees with AI tools but failing to allocate time for experimentation and learning. As pressure grows to deliver AI ROI, HR leaders face increasing responsibility for workforce capability, learning culture and employee confidence.
- Author: HRD Connect
- Date published: May 28, 2026
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Businesses across the UK are investing heavily in AI tools, but many employees are still not being given the time or structured support needed to use them effectively.
New research from Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, suggests a growing disconnect between AI investment and workforce readiness. Based on responses from more than 400 UK and Ireland business leaders, the research found that while 70% of organisations are giving employees access to AI tools, only 48% are allocating time for employees to experiment with them.
For HR leaders, the findings highlight an important challenge. AI adoption cannot be treated simply as a technology deployment. If employees are expected to generate value from AI, organisations need to give them the time, guidance and confidence to understand how these tools apply to their roles.
The AI skills gap is becoming a business risk
The research found that 54% of organisations now cite the workforce skills gap as the biggest barrier to achieving return on investment from AI. Previously released findings from the same project also showed that 41% of employees believe a lack of structured AI training or time to learn is holding them back.
This suggests the issue is not access alone. Many organisations have already made the technology available. The challenge is whether employees have enough space to experiment, build confidence and translate AI into practical improvements in their day-to-day work.
As pressure increases on leadership teams to demonstrate measurable value from AI, the absence of protected learning time may become a significant obstacle. Without it, AI tools risk remaining underused, poorly understood or limited to basic tasks rather than becoming meaningful drivers of productivity and innovation.
AI adoption requires workforce readiness
The findings reflect a wider shift taking place across the workplace. Organisations are moving quickly to adopt AI, often driven by the need to improve efficiency, competitiveness and decision-making. However, employees are still working through what AI means for their roles, their skills and their future career relevance.
Caroline Grant, Senior Managing Director at Slalom UK, said the research shows that businesses are no longer waiting to invest in AI, but are now facing a new challenge around capability. “Businesses are clearly no longer waiting at the sidelines to see if AI is something they should spend on. Now they are facing a new problem: an AI skills gap,” she said.
For HR, this makes AI readiness a workforce issue as much as a digital one. Employees need structured opportunities to test tools, ask questions and understand where AI can support their work. Without this, organisations risk creating a gap between executive ambition and employee adoption.
HR’s role in AI adoption is becoming more strategic
AI transformation is no longer confined to IT or innovation teams. It affects how people work, how managers lead and how organisations build capability at scale. This places HR at the centre of the adoption challenge.
HR teams will need to work closely with business and technology leaders to ensure AI rollout plans include learning time, role-specific training and clear communication. Employees are more likely to engage with AI when they understand why it is being introduced, how it applies to their work and what support is available.
This is particularly important because AI adoption can create uncertainty as well as opportunity. If employees feel pressured to use tools they do not understand, adoption can quickly become a source of stress rather than empowerment.
Learning culture will determine AI value
The research also points to the need for a more practical and continuous approach to learning. Traditional training models may not be enough for technology that is evolving quickly and being embedded directly into workflows.
Shahen Bokhari, AI Product Portfolio Lead at TP ICAP, said the organisation made a conscious decision to give employees time to explore, test and challenge how AI could support their day-to-day work. “That time investment proved critical. It accelerated adoption, built real ownership, and helped us translate technology into tangible business benefits,” he said.
This highlights an important lesson for employers. AI skills are not built through access alone. They develop through experimentation, reflection and practical use. Organisations that protect time for this learning are more likely to see employees move beyond basic familiarity toward confident and valuable application.
Time may be the missing ingredient in AI ROI
The organisations most likely to succeed with AI may not simply be those investing the most in technology. They may be those that create the strongest conditions for employees to learn, adapt and apply AI meaningfully.
For HR leaders, this means AI readiness should be treated as part of workforce strategy. It connects directly to learning culture, employee experience, manager capability and organisational trust.
As AI investment continues to accelerate, the pressure to show business value will only increase. But Slalom’s research suggests that organisations focused only on providing tools may struggle to unlock the returns they expect.
Because AI adoption is not simply about giving employees access to technology. It is about giving them the time and confidence to use it well.
