Linked – The great AI skills disconnect – and how to fix it

This isn’t very clear:

Exclusive: A new Workera report shows business leaders and employees are deeply split on AI upskilling.

In short, most business leaders say they seek, value, and focus their businesses on leveraging AI to enhance everything.

A significant number of employees, however, don’t see it that way.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-great-ai-skills-disconnect-and-how-to-fix-it/

The article gives some details and offers suggestions on bridging that divide. Here is what I think is happening:

• Business leaders who respond to surveys with what they want the public to know, even if they are clueless about using AI. If asked, they are, of course, adopting AI. Who wants to admit that this new technology may change the way you do business, and you have no idea what to do with it?
• They haven’t developed a comprehensive strategy, or if they have, they’ve communicated it poorly.
• Employees recognize that there isn’t full adoption because, if the company were genuinely focused on the technology, it would have provided some form of training or upskilling for employees. It has not, likely because employees are unaware of how.
• Employees are also concerned that the lack of communication and upskilling indicates that the forward strategy does not include them.

Corporate America has a history of this:

• Corporations have told employees they are like family when, in reality, they are not.
• Leaders have responded to surveys claiming to support employee mental health, but these haven’t matched the employee experience with mental health.
• Many companies quickly abandoned their commitment to diversity in 2025, as it became less fashionable. Remember how earnest the messaging was before then?
• Most of us have experienced multiple layoffs, even when the business was profitable, but not profitable enough for venture capitalists.

Maybe we should forgive employees on the ground from doubting the public proclamations of an AI strategy. They’re on the ground, and they’ve heard other proclamations that don’t match what they see with their own eyes.

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