IT market research firm Gartner on May 13 announced findings from a study on AI talent strategies and warned that by 2027, half of companies that fail to establish a comprehensive AI talent strategy will lose key AI personnel to rivals.

Gartner said talent will gravitate to companies that prioritise strengthening workforce capabilities rather than simply adopting AI.

Gartner conducted a "Global Labor Market Survey" in the first quarter of 2026 to measure AI’s impact on work, employee psychology and workforce capabilities, surveying 12,004 employees and managers at companies in 40 countries.

Swagatham Basu (스와가탐 바수), a senior director analyst in Gartner’s HR practice, said, "Most leaders are mistaking basic approaches to AI or adoption indicators for true transformation." He said the "skills augmentation illusion" is concealing risks and eroding return on investment (ROI).

Strategic readiness also appeared weak. In a Gartner survey of 197 CEOs and senior business leaders in December 2025, only 27 percent of executives said they had a comprehensive AI strategy. Just 20 percent said their workforce was truly prepared for AI.

Gartner highlighted four points for companies to achieve AI results.

First, measuring AI effects by time saved can miss real value. In the first-quarter 2026 survey, 19 percent of employees said they saved no time using AI. Gartner said employees who use AI proficiently across various tasks have twice the productivity, 2.3 times higher work quality and 3.2 times greater process improvement effects. It recommended introducing a "true ROI index" focused on the depth and diversity of AI use rather than simply tracking adoption rates.

Second, many employees prefer personal AI over company AI tools. Diana Sanchez (다이애나 산체스), a senior director analyst in Gartner’s HR practice, said 88 percent of employees provided with enterprise AI also use personal AI tools for work. Employees using both personal and enterprise AI achieve 1.7 times greater time-saving effects than those using only enterprise tools, but Sanchez said risks to corporate data and the risk of key talent leaving also rise. Gartner suggested CIOs and CHROs work together to improve the user experience of enterprise AI tools and reduce shadow AI.

Third, AI benefits are not reaching most employees. It found 73 percent of high-productivity AI users are managers or executives. Frontline workers who handle most tasks that can be automated are not receiving sufficient training or guidance on using AI. Gartner advised CHROs to provide tailored tools and training for managers to build capabilities to integrate AI into daily work.

Fourth, anxiety that AI could replace jobs is slowing the pace of AI adoption. Basu said, "Employees with a positive view of AI are 3.4 times more likely to be high productivity." He said confidence in current and future roles, and transparent and ongoing communication on how AI will be used and its impact on jobs, are key drivers of positive adoption.