The conversation is no longer about whether to adopt Generative AI. It’s about harnessing its full potential.
For CLOs and CHROs, this means developing a workforce that understands, embraces, and uses Gen AI with confidence.
What is Gen AI confidence?
When your people use Gen AI with confidence, they’re more than just familiar with Gen AI tools. They’re able to skillfully—and easily—apply, experiment with, and integrate Gen AI into their daily workflows. It’s the difference between hesitating to use Gen AI and using it to drive innovation, efficiency, and better informed decision-making.
New Degreed research shows that 78% of employees lack the confidence and skills to use Gen AI effectively in their daily activities.
This eye-popping number comes from our upcoming How the Workforce Learns AI report, a global survey we conducted in partnership with Harvard Business Publishing. It finds that people lack confidence because employee learning is insufficiently structured, support for Gen AI learning is limited, and basic learning infrastructure is lacking.
It all adds up to this: While many organizations invest in AI tools, few ensure the workforce is prepared to use those tools comprehensively.
Why Gen AI Confidence Matters
Gen AI confidence makes your organization more successful in three key ways.
1. Gen AI confidence reduces resistance to change.
One of the biggest barriers to Gen AI adoption isn’t the technology itself. It’s humans. Employees who lack confidence in their ability to use Gen AI often resist its integration—due to uncertainty, lack of training, or fear of job displacement. And organizations that actively build Gen AI confidence create an environment in which employees embrace AI as an enabler rather than a disruptor.
Furthermore, our research shows that organizations fostering high levels of AI confidence are nearly three times more successful at embedding Gen AI into daily workflows. Why? Because confident employees experiment more, integrate AI into their decision-making, and use AI tools with greater consistency. When Gen AI becomes a natural part of work rather than an intimidating add-on, adoption moves beyond isolated pilots and fuels operational transformation.
2. Gen AI confidence drives productivity.
Benefitting from Gen AI is about more than knowing how it works. It’s about actively using it to improve workflows and performance. Employees confident in their ability to use Gen AI are twice as likely to incorporate it into their daily tasks compared to those who lack confidence.
This consistent usage leads to greater efficiency, faster decision making, and higher-quality outputs. Our research shows employees are 77 times more likely to engage in Gen AI learning when they see tangible benefits to their work and careers.
More key data from our study:
Currently, Gen AI and other technologies have the potential to automate work activities that absorb 60% to 70% of employees’ time.
3. Gen AI confidence builds competitive advantage.
The organizations that will lead in the AI era aren’t just those that adopt Gen AI tools. They will be the ones that develop a workforce capable of using Gen AI tools fluently. Companies that prioritize AI upskilling and confidence-building are already pulling ahead, leveraging AI to boost productivity, automate routine work, and drive innovation at scale.
The gap between Gen AI-ready and Gen AI-lagging organizations is widening. Companies that fail to invest in AI fluency will soon face slower decision-making, operational inefficiencies, and difficulty attracting AI-savvy talent. Meanwhile, AI-ready companies are embedding AI into business strategies, accelerating transformation, and staying agile in an unpredictable market.
Gen AI Confidence: Driving Your Competitive Edge
For business leaders, the goal isn’t simply to introduce Gen AI training. It’s to cultivate Gen AI confidence at every level of the workforce.
- CIOs can help the organization move beyond awareness by embedding Gen AI applications into daily hands-on work.
- CLOs can reengineer learning programs to emphasize experimentation and practical problem-solving with Gen AI.
- CHROs can showcase the real impact of Gen AI, so their people can see the tangible benefits to their work and careers.
Is your organization ready?
Gen AI confidence isn’t a natural byproduct of Gen AI adoption. It results from a deliberate, strategic initiative.
Let’s explore how your organization can build new Gen AI learning strategies—to be more open to change, more productive, and more competitive.
Schedule a personalized, one-on-one call with a Degreed expert today.
