Akkodis has published a new study entitled „The capability curve: Building the next generation digital enterprise.“ Based on surveys of over 2,000 executives (including 500 CTOs) and 37,500 employees worldwide, the study examined how executives and employees are working together to build trustworthy AI in companies that combine human expertise with scalable and responsible AI systems. The 15-page analysis reveals a striking tension: while employees are becoming increasingly confident in their use of AI, top management is acting much more cautiously – especially when it comes to scaling, governance, and skills.
Key findings of the study:
- 75% of employees say their managers have sufficient AI knowledge – significantly more than in 2024 (46%). At the same time, only 62% of managers are confident in their AI implementation strategy, a decline of 20 percentage points compared to the previous year.
- CTOs continue to cite skill gaps as the biggest obstacle to transformation. Nevertheless, only 20% use technology to systematically record or support employee skills development.
- Employees now save around two hours per day thanks to AI—twice as much as in 2024. This time is primarily spent on strategic work, creative thinking, and problem solving.
- 57% of CTOs expect their workforce to decline over the next five years. At the same time, 59% plan to realign their employees internally—a clear sign of forward-looking and sustainable workforce development.
„This study makes it clear that employee optimism must be aligned with system-wide trust in senior management. Only then can companies transform experiments into sustainable performance,“ says Jo Debecker, President and CEO of Akkodis.
The study lists six areas of action that companies can use to establish trustworthy AI: creating a common vision, developing targeted skills, establishing AI as a management tool, securing hybrid work processes, scaling systems confidently, and promoting a culture of shared responsibility. Application examples from industry and healthcare show how AI improves real-world operational processes—for example, through faster demand forecasts or model-based development using digital twins. The key message is that digital transformation succeeds when AI complements human capabilities and „human in the loop“ becomes a fundamental principle. (oe)
