A worried businessman at a computer
As the pace of AI adoption speeds up across the world, organizations are ramping up their investments into AI training and enablement for employees. However, many businesses are still behind on implementing governance frameworks to guide how their employees should use AI in the workplace.
That's the main takeaway from Gallagher's third annual "AI Adoption and Risk Survey" of 1,250 businesses around the world.
In the last year, nearly two thirds of global businesses (62%) have already delivered AI training to employees, while more than half (55%) have hired for AI-focused roles, according to the report from the insurance brokerage, risk management, and consulting services company. Governance is also becoming a key priority, with 56% of organizations already communicating their AI strategy to employees.
Yet 43% of organizations have yet to introduce formal AI risk management frameworks, highlighting a considerable gap between adoption and oversight. In addition, only 44% have conducted AI impact assessments related to AI use, according to the report.
"The findings are clear: Companies must take a measured approach to ensure that the pace of AI adoption is supported with the right training, enablement, and governance frameworks," Gallagher officials said in a statement.
Other highlights from the report:
- 86% of global businesses say AI has improved employee productivity, reinforcing the technology's growing impact on how work gets done.
- Nearly half (47%) of businesses are offering training to help employees use AI tools — up 7% from 2024. In addition, 40% of businesses have created new roles where AI is a core part of the remit.
- The most popular reason to protect employee jobs was to retain and promote creativity —in this case, forward-thinking and innovative employees. Other common reasons included a desire to keep the human touch in client interactions and to ensure that human employees are still available to solve complex problems that technology cannot solve independently.
"For many global companies, AI is no longer in the test phase. It's in the workplace, shaping strategy and powering productivity," said Ben Warren, managing director of people data, AI and innovation at Gallagher. "Training programs are on the rise, equipping employees for a future where human ingenuity and AI agents will work hand in hand. We know what AI can do, and the potential is undeniable. It can handle repetitive and manual tasks, freeing employees to spend less on menial work and more on what really matters: creative ideation and meeting clients. At the same time, our findings suggest that governance frameworks are still catching up with the pace of adoption. As organizations scale their use of AI risk oversight, clear policies will become increasingly important. Overall, the long-term value of AI will depend on combining technological efficiency with human creativity, judgment, and trust."
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