A new survey by General Assembly reveals that while 82% of HR professionals use AI in their work, only 30% have received comprehensive, job-specific AI training. This gap highlights a growing demand for practical, HR-focused AI education as adoption accelerates.
The research found that 69% of HR professionals say AI has freed up time for more strategic work, and 41% report working fewer hours due to AI adoption. However, many are left to learn on their own, resulting in mixed confidence and effectiveness levels.
“AI is transforming every aspect of work, but to harness its full potential, we need to upskill every department, especially HR,” said Daniele Grassi, CEO of General Assembly. “HR teams who receive job-specific AI training are 35% more likely to say they are very or completely confident in their AI skills compared to those who learn independently.”
How HR Teams Are Using AI
- Analyzing employee feedback (46%)
- Writing job descriptions (46%)
- Designing training materials (45%)
Training Gaps Identified
Outside of the 30% who have received job-specific AI training, the survey revealed:
- 18% received only basic conceptual training
- 12% completed generic AI training not tailored to HR tasks
- 14% sought out training independently
- 26% received no formal training at all
The gap is especially pronounced among Gen Z, with 38% of respondents saying they have received no formal AI training. Industry differences were also noted: healthcare was most likely to lack training (32%), while finance (39%) and professional services (46%) were most likely to provide comprehensive, job-specific programs.
Confidence & Training Correlation
Role-specific training strongly influences confidence: 85% of HR professionals who received it feel very or completely confident in their AI skills. Demand for more practical learning remains high:
- 70% want interactive workshops focused on HR use cases
- 63% want regular updates as AI tools evolve
- 59% of non-users say they would need HR-specific hands-on training to begin
Top AI Use Cases HR Professionals Want to Learn
- Workforce planning (47%)
- Designing training materials (46%)
- Writing employee communications (42%)
Mandates vs Encouragement
The study found that mandating AI use can backfire: 41% of HR professionals at companies where AI use is required say it creates more work and distracts them from priorities, compared to just 13% at companies that encourage but don’t require adoption.
Only 6% of respondents said they are motivated to use AI due to leadership demands. Instead, most are driven by the desire to improve productivity, enhance work quality, and reduce workloads.
Learn more about the survey here.
Methodology
The survey was conducted by General Assembly between June 9–20, 2025, among 288 HR professionals at organizations with at least 100 employees in the US and UK.