May 2026
New research suggests that learners with high AI literacy are 49% more likely to embrace AI integration in Learning & Development (L&D) programs. With 85% of learners agreeing that AI-powered learning improves outcomes, the value of advocacy cannot be underestimated. So, how can leaders build this AI literacy in their workforce?
Employees thrive on AI technologies that provide a familiar experience rather than extensive upskilling, and this builds confidence to leverage other tools.
Organizational messaging around AI is both sought-after by employees and fundamental to successful integration and adoption of AI tools.
Strengthening AI literacy – or familiarity – increases advocacy almost 50%.
9 out of 10 learners want AI in their learning experience, while 8 in 10 have already found it has improved their engagement in training programs.
Developers have been working and experimenting with AI for decades. But to the ordinary user, it was not until the release of ChatGPT in late 2022 that the world-changing potential of AI became clear and applicable to everyday life. The adoption rate of the tool was instantly in the millions, far above the norm for new and disruptive technologies.
Today, barely more than 3 years later, AI has supercharged most existing digital services and the sector of intelligent services has exploded, with 100 ‘unicorn’ AI companies (digital businesses valued at over $1bn) appearing in that period and the number of AI companies still growing at a global rate of nearly 10% per year.
AI has unlocked enormous opportunities in almost every sector, heavily impacting the way we work and what is now possible in the workspace. Crucially, for companies offering L&D initiatives, the landscape has evolved with the innovations that AI carries, now allowing advanced and highly effective training to happen everywhere and at scale.
Meanwhile, ordinary users today are expected to have much higher technological familiarity than during previous major technological disruptions; everyone is likely to have internet access, own a smartphone, know how to navigate apps, and be accustomed to frequent updates and changes to their tools. With this technological exposure being the norm, AI adoption has sky-rocketed, becoming ‘mainstream’ seemingly overnight.
But with great opportunities come great challenges; this same trend can disadvantage some workers who lack the skills, knowledge, or confidence around unfamiliar technologies that are entering the workspace at an unprecedented rate. Therein lies the challenge for leaders today.
New research outlined in this article from EF Corporate Learning reflects this new reality, drawing links between AI literacy, age, role, and AI adoption.
Figure 1
Mobile phones
16 years
Internet
7 years
4.5 years
Chat GPT
2 months
AI has already unlocked great potential within the workplace, with 94% of employees using AI in some capacity in their role
AI literate employees embrace AI in L&D
Most (94%) workers report at least one concern around AI usage in L&D, such as privacy, over-reliance, and complexity. However, the research reveals that this trend is dependent on exposure to AI, or how much individuals are already using AI in other areas; 21% of highly AI literate workers (see Figure 2) report no concerns at all, vs. only 3% of those with low AI exposure.
This suggests that greater exposure to AI is associated with a lower perceived risk.
Figure 2
Highly AI literate workers
21%
Low AI exposure workers
3%
Average
6%
Figure 3
Highly AI literate workers
81%
Low AI exposure workers
32%
Difference: 49%
The majority of employees are looking for their employers to provide AI tools
Similarly, when asked how willing they were to adopt AI in learning, the highly AI literate cohort were 49% more likely to be ‘very willing’ to adopt AI-powered learning tools than those who rarely use AI tools. Age appears to play a role too, with 18- to 29-year-olds being 8% more likely to be ‘very willing’ to incorporate AI than over 45s.
42% of the same age group (18-29) adopt AI tools of their own initiative, against the 34% average. In the 46+ group, on the other hand, the majority (46%) prefer to only use tools as mandated by their employer.
This divides workers into two distinct groups; those that understand and embrace AI, and those that are unfamiliar and therefore lacking confidence in that area. Any subsequent attempts to integrate AI in workflows and training are therefore likely to present a hidden challenge for leaders.
The impact of AI is directly connected to employee AI literacy
Zooming in on how this impacts learner confidence in practice, our research looked at learner impressions of AI in language learning. We found that learners with higher confidence in their language level were also more aware of and advocates for the impact of AI in their learning program; 90% of those advocating the effectiveness of AI in learning reported confidence in their abilities, while only 54% of ambivalent AI users reported the same.
This gap suggests that negative perceptions of AI may be limiting the impact of learner self-assessment. This could be because greater use and advocacy of AI provide more accurate, personalized, and objective feedback, helping learners to understand their true level and improve confidence in their abilities.
Together, this data paints a picture that AI in L&D is being thoroughly embraced by one section of the workforce (with 81% of learners agreeing that AI has significantly improved their engagement in learning programs), while another group may be suffering from a lack of personal resources to get the most out of the tools.
So, how are leaders handling this disparity?
Figure 4
of AI advocates
of AI ambivalent workers
81% of learners agree that AI has significantly improved their engagement in learning programs
Leaders overestimate how engaged their employees already are with AI
Our research reveals that, overall, leaders overestimate how much their employees are using AI in their day-to-day jobs, and how supported they feel in doing so.
For example, leaders believe their employees are using AI tools 7% more than they really are, and estimate that they are automating tasks 10-15% more than in reality. The trend is also reflected in the fact that 86% of leaders report at least one concern around AI-powered learning, while 94% of the learners themselves say the same.
Figure 5
Expectation: 32% of the time
Reality: 25% of the time
Employees are willing to use AI but highlight the need for training support
Meanwhile, over 50% of learners want guidance and support on using AI tools effectively, but only 38% feel that they are actively encouraged or supported in doing so. Leaders themselves tend to be more positive about the support they are offering; 54% believe they are offering the support needed, and 64% claim there are provisions made for skills practice, vs. only 49% of learners feeling the same.
This difference may reflect that leaders are more aware of organizational strategies promoting AI use, suggesting a gap between organizational messaging and how support is experienced in practice.
All this adds up to a disconnect between leader and learner perceptions and experiences when it comes to AI-powered learning. Combined with the existing gaps in AI literacy between employees, blind spots can develop in leadership where some groups get left behind in adopting and benefitting from new technologies.
Figure 6
Leaders
Learners
agree
agree
90% of learners show willingness to start integrating AI tools today
Figure 7
Leaders
Learners
agree
agree
Ultimately, our research proves that there is great enthusiasm among employees for AI-driven learning experiences, with 85% agreeing that AI-powered learning tools improve the effectiveness of language training and 90% showing willingness to start integrating the tools today. The leader’s job is to bring those figures as close to 100% as possible by offering the right tools, modelling behavior, and deepening empathy and awareness.
Employees with low exposure to AI tools are likely to have misconceptions about how difficult AI tools are to use and incorporate into their daily tasks. Choose tools for learning and beyond that enhance an existing experience with AI without creating new workflows or complex prompts that AI beginners may be reticent to navigate. For example, EF Corporate Learning’s AI-powered platform delivers a familiar classroom and self-study experience, but is backed by an AI tutor that you can chat to like a human, with agentic AI working in the background to supercharge fluency progress and measurement.
It is likely, according to this data, that those failing to adopt AI tools in their day-to-day work will also be reluctant to fully utilize the AI tools provided to them for learning, deepening the gap between them and more AI literate co-workers. Keep an eye on the data, and seek to engage those are that being left behind.
This research highlights how leaders are in the ideal position to champion new technologies. Communicate your experience and success stories about AI, model enthusiasm for change, and alleviate concerns by building psychological safety. If learners feel inspired enough to explore, safe enough to ask for help, and confident in what they need to do, they will get a lot more out of the training programs you provide.
Silence from leaders creates uncertainty and anxiety. Be certain that your teams are aware of what is expected from them when using AI tools, and what the benefits are for them. Offering clear visibility on the progress that they can expect by embracing AI in learning will help motivate them and alleviate doubts about usability.
We conducted a study of 1,300 leaders and learners from across the globe, focusing on profiles that participate in and manage language programs in multinational companies. 64% of respondents were from companies of over 5,000 employees. The study features respondents predominantly from manufacturing, technology, consulting, and healthcare sectors.
Discover how language learning AI can offer the experience and results of one-on-one learning, at scale.
Quick Links
Discover
About
Connect
EN
+44 808 258 3220
