3 In 10 CEOs Say Cutting Headcount Is Primary Driver of AI Investment, Even As Most Say AI Demands More Empathy 

New Businessolver research finds employer-sponsored AI training is what closes the gap between those two messages—employees who receive training are up to 1.5 times more likely to report career growth, confidence, and optimism. Nearly half were left to “figure out” AI on their own. 

Executives are sending their workforces conflicting messages about AI. Nearly 3 in 10 CEOs (28%) say cost savings through headcount reduction is the primary motivation behind their AI investment. At the same time, 60% of C-suite executives say AI adoption creates a “much greater need to demonstrate empathy,” according to new research from Businessolver. 

Employees appear to be hearing the first message. Thirty-nine percent say AI makes them concerned about their future at their organization, and 31% worry they are falling behind on how to use AI in their role. Among employees concerned about AI’s impact on their future, 64% report having experienced a mental health issue in the past year, compared with 50% of employees who feel optimistic about AI. 

The findings, released in Businessolver’s 2026 State of Workplace Empathy AI Special Report, point to a single lever that separates employees who feel AI is advancing their careers from those who feel it is threatening them—whether their employer trained them to use it. Employees who received adequate employer-sponsored AI training report up to 1.5 times stronger career progression, confidence, and optimism than employees left to figure it out alone. Nearly half of employees—49%—are in the second group. 

“No matter your role, there’s no way to know it all with AI—it’s just changing too quickly,” said Jon Shanahan, President and CEO of Businessolver. “That’s why employees need active training, guidance, and forums to exchange role-specific best practices. Our data clearly shows those who receive dedicated AI support feel more confident, in control, and optimistic about their careers, which is a formula for fueling productivity and competitive advantage.” 

Training is the difference between AI as an accelerator and AI as a threat 

As organizations race to adopt AI, many employees are struggling to keep pace. Businessolver’s new report reveals that nearly half (49%) of employees say they have received little or no employer-sponsored AI training and have largely been left to “figure out” AI themselves, exposing a growing workforce readiness gap that could hinder both business performance and employee wellbeing. 

While 61% of employees say AI makes them optimistic about their future at work, nearly 40% remain concerned. The gap between those two groups tracks closely with access to training. Employees with adequate employer-sponsored AI training are substantially more positive across every measure the study captured: 

• 78% say AI has accelerated their career progression, compared with 51% of employees who received limited training—a 27-point gap. 
• 80% are confident they can keep up with AI trends in their role, versus 57% among employees with limited training. 
• 73% say AI allows them to focus on higher-value work, compared with 50% among those left to figure it out on their own. 
• 73% say AI makes them optimistic about their future at the organization, versus 49% of employees with limited training. 

The pattern suggests training is doing more than transferring technical skills. It is changing whether employees experience AI as something happening to them or something they are equipped to use. Only 31% of C-suite executives, however, name upskilling through personalized learning as a primary goal of their AI investment—roughly the same share that names headcount reduction.

Access to training follows culture 

Businessolver’s research found that AI readiness is closely tied to organizational culture. Among employees who describe their organization as empathetic, 87% report receiving adequate AI training. That figure drops to 33% among employees who say their workplace culture is toxic, against a 51% average across all employees. 
 
Compared with the overall workforce, employees in toxic cultures are significantly more likely to say: 

• They worry they are falling behind on how to effectively use AI in their role (51% in toxic cultures vs. 31% of all employees). 
• AI has slowed or disrupted their career progression (54% vs. 35%). 
• AI makes them concerned about their future at their organization (51% vs. 39%). 
• AI shifts additional clean-up, checking, or administrative work onto their role (50% vs. 38%). 

Toxicity itself is rising as AI pressure builds 

Thirty-three percent of CEOs describe their own culture as toxic, up 25 points year over year, alongside 40% of employees, up 18 points. And 61% of CEOs say it is difficult to demonstrate empathy in their day-to-day work—a 32-point jump from the prior year. 

Gen X emerges as the workforce fault line 

Generational perceptions of AI track closely on most measures, with one clear exception. Gen X reports the highest AI concern and the lowest career momentum of any generation. More than half—53%—say they have been left to figure out AI on their own, the highest share of any cohort, and 41% say AI has slowed or disrupted their career progression, compared with 29% of Millennials. 
 
Because Gen X employees occupy many experienced contributor and management roles, those gaps carry downstream risk for employers counting on the middle of the organization to carry an AI rollout. 
 
Training access also splits by gender and job type:  

• Women are less likely than men to report receiving adequate AI training (45% vs. 56%) — and more likely to say AI makes them concerned about their future (45% vs. 33%). 
• Hands-on workers face a 13-point AI training gap compared with computer-based employees (44% vs. 57%), and are equally more likely to say AI has slowed their career progression (44% vs. 31%). 
• Non-managers report a 6-point training gap versus managers, but a 9-point gap on career disruption (40% vs. 31%), suggesting top-down rollouts lose force below the management line. 

“The future of AI at work will be determined by organizations that bring their people along on the journey,” said Sony SungChu, Businessolver Chief AI Officer. “AI is most powerful when it amplifies human potential, but people need guidance and guardrails to obtain the best outcomes for the business and their stakeholders.” 

Read the full 2026 State of Workplace Empathy Report and AI Special Report at www.businessolver.com/workplace-empathy 
 
About Businessolver 
 
Businessolver is an independently owned benefits technology company advancing a more proactive, connected, and anticipatory benefits experience. Through a secure SaaS platform, governed intelligence, and an always-on service model designed to act early and stay aligned, Businessolver helps organizations reduce complexity, strengthen engagement, and deliver consistent outcomes across total wellbeing. With more than two decades of innovation, Businessolver unifies people, data, and operations so that insights turn into action—and benefits work better for employers, employees, and partners. 
 
Media Contact 
 
Bridget Mortland 
Head of Marketing and Product Solutions
media@businessolver.com