HR leaders are entering 2026 in a haze of opinions around AI adoption, workforce planning and employee engagement. However, some expert projections reveal significant gaps between executive optimism and operational reality, which puts uncertainty on the CHRO’s desk along with all the regular responsibilities.
Russ Fradin, CEO of AI ROI measurement company Larridin, also points to a growing divide in enterprise environments. “The gap between AI-fluent employees and those without the time or interest to learn the technology is widening,” he says. “Organizations that invest in peer learning and dedicated time for AI training are seeing higher adoption rates.”
