Managers experiment with AI while employees lag: Gartner urges HR to bridge the adoption gap

Managers Outpace Employees in AI Adoption

A significant gap between managers and employees in AI adoption has emerged, according to recent research from Gartner 1

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. The Gartner study on AI, based on a July 2025 survey of nearly 3,000 employees, found that 46 percent of managers are experimenting with AI to improve their work, compared to just 26 percent of employees 2

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. This disparity reveals that workers reluctant to adopt AI represent a significant challenge for organizations seeking to capitalize on workplace technology investments.

The research underscores a critical reality: AI tools don't sell themselves. A separate survey conducted at the same time found that just 14 percent of managers said they didn't face any challenges encouraging their teams to use AI 1

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. In fact, 86 percent of managers face some sort of challenge when it comes to encouraging teams to use the technology 2

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. This widespread resistance highlights the need for structured guidance for employees on AI integration rather than expecting workers to figure it out themselves.

HR Role in AI Implementation Becomes Critical

Carmen von Rohr, senior principal in Gartner's HR practice, concludes that chief human resource officers have relied too much on employees to integrate AI tools into their jobs 1

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. The HR role in AI has evolved from passive enablement to active change management. Von Rohr notes that "HR has largely focused on empowering employees to explore, learn and innovate with AI and have overlooked the role of the manager in driving effective use of AI tools" 2

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To improve AI adoption, CHROs are advised to focus on supporting managers to undertake the organizational change necessary to meet the expectations of senior leadership 1

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. HR departments support for managers should include looking at the needs and expectations of different teams in terms of training and support. More than any prior technology, AI implementation requires change management 1

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Employee Concerns Drive Pushback

Employee pushback stems from legitimate job security fears, particularly as many companies reduce workforces in response to rising costs and AI efficiencies 2

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. If managers rush to implement business transformation plans, they risk creating "operational and emotional resistance" among employees 1

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. Given that 46 percent of US voters believe AI will hurt the economy, according to a recent Data for Progress poll, these employee concerns cannot be dismissed 1

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HR leaders should prepare managers for potential emotional resistance from employees and for communicating effectively with senior leaders who may not have realistic expectations 1

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. This requires managers driving AI adoption to balance productivity goals with sensitivity to workforce anxieties.

The Productivity Gains Question Remains Unanswered

A July 2025 Gartner survey of 114 HR leaders found that a mere 7 percent of organizations offer guidance about how one should use time savings derived from AI tools 1

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. This lack of direction on how to redeploy time saved through AI creates confusion about the actual value proposition for employees.

Internal disagreements persist about how projected time saved should be allocated. Based on the survey, 55 percent of HR leaders preferred to see saved time applied to projects outside of core job roles, compared to just 28 percent of managers 1

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. Von Rohr emphasizes that "once employees are saving significant blocks of time through AI use, that saved time will need to be effectively redeployed" to generate more business impact 2

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. The consultancy sees a role for HR leaders in clarifying how potential productivity bounty should be allocated—a return on investment that the majority of CEOs still haven't seen 1

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. Organizations must effectively integrate AI into work processes by addressing both the technical and human elements of this leadership challenge.