Gallup finds managers play a decisive role in whether artificial intelligence improves workplace productivity - but most companies haven't given them the training or support to do it. In a survey of HR leaders, 99% said AI matters to their organizational strategy, yet half lack confidence in their managers' ability to guide employees on the technology.
Mark Muro, a senior fellow at Brookings Metro who studies the digital economy, said employees already use AI on the job, largely without company direction.
"I would hazard to guess most workers are not using it in the context of a promulgated, firm-wide organizational push," Muro said. "So, it's sort of a lot of freelancing. It likely is improving the level of work that can be done by individuals, but that is different from improving the productivity of the overall organization. And I think that's the big, the $30 trillion question right now."
Gallup's report pulled from surveys of HR leaders and employees. It found AI acts as a catalyst for workplace change, but it won't improve a company's culture on its own. Managers make the difference, the report says.
Manager support changes outcomes
The gap in results is wide. When employees feel their manager actively champions AI, a third say AI transforms how work gets done at their organization. Among employees who don't see their manager championing AI, just 4% say the same.
Employees with AI-supportive managers are also more likely to report an improved workplace culture over the past year: 31% vs. 21%.
But Gallup warns managers are already stretched. "Asking managers to lead AI transformation without considering their capacity and internal support risks turning a priority into another competing demand," the report says.
Training lags behind adoption
Most HR leaders told Gallup their organizations encourage peer learning, create AI centers of excellence or designate internal AI champions. Some offer manager-specific AI training. But only about half offer role-specific AI learning or certification programs, and roughly a quarter embed AI skills into job expectations or performance goals.
Twelve percent said their companies have no formal steps underway to help employees and managers use AI effectively.
Anton Dahbura, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Assured Autonomy, said company AI rollouts require care. "The more support, training, evaluation, all of those things, the better," he said.
Dahbura cautioned companies against expecting outside vendors to deliver a quick fix. Sophisticated organizations accept that AI adoption comes with friction and works best when customized and integrated into existing systems. Those behind-the-scenes changes may still alter worker roles, he said.
Trust is the missing piece
Muro said he remains optimistic about AI's productivity gains but says organizations must confront "widespread skepticism and distrust" among employees.
Managers already shape workplace satisfaction, Muro said. "And I think it's even more important for AI, because AI could so easily get disconnected from the day-to-day and just become this conceptual issue that people have opinions on."
HR professionals who are spread across many of these implementation tasks might find that structured resources help. An AI Learning Path for HR Managers offers a practical route for building the skills Gallup's survey finds are missing.
Why this matters for HR professionals
The takeaway for HR is not that AI adoption is moving too fast - it's that first-line managers are being asked to lead it without preparation or clear expectations. Gallup data shows manager championing changes AI outcomes by nearly 30 percentage points. That makes manager readiness an HR priority, not a technical one. If your company hasn't defined how "AI support" looks for managers in concrete terms, that's the gap to close.
Useful resources are emerging for HR leaders who want to structure this work. See what exists for AI for Human Resources and consider whether broadening your learning programs or adding role-specific AI paths would help.
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