As many as eight in 10 HR professionals are now using AI tools in their day-to-day work, according to new research from technology bootcamp and training provider, General Assembly.

However, the survey of 300 HR staff in the UK and US also uncovered significant gaps in formal AI training – meaning many are having to learn how to use and apply AI without proper guidance.

General Assembly found that 82% of HR professionals say they now use AI at work, rising to 94% in professional services and 88% in finance industries.

Among most common tasks AI was used for were analyzing employee feedback (46%), writing job descriptions (46%) designing training materials (45%), onboarding new hires (43%) and reviewing resumes (37%).

Meanwhile, two-thirds of respondents (66%) said their organization had adopted agentic AI, moving from tools to full workflows.

With AI being used for a variety of HR tasks, from employee communications and performance reviews, to talent acquisition and learning and development, the finding that just 30% of HR respondents said they had received ‘comprehensive, job-specific AI training’.

Speaking exclusively to UNLEASH, General Assembly CEO Daniele Grassi says that although organizations are rushing to adopt AI tools, workforces are being left “to figure out how to use them on their own.”

“This leaves a major knowledge gap between self-taught AI enthusiasts and the rest of your talent,” Grassi says.

At the end of the day, AI training is about change management and organizational readiness, and HR teams need to be leading the charge on both.

HR leaders must ‘model the behavior they want to see’ on AI

Of those HR staff that received some form of training, 18% were provided with basic, conceptual training with no hands-on practice, 12% received generic AI training ‘not tailored to HR tasks’ and 14% ‘sought out and took training on their own’.

Of more concern, one quarter (26%) of HR respondents said that they had received no formal AI training whatsoever.

“HR professionals who receive comprehensive, job-specific training are more confident and see greater productivity gains than those who are self-taught or who receive generic AI training,” Grassi tells UNLEASH.

“Companies that offer structured workforce training on AI will build sustainable competitive advantages over those who default to a trial-and-error approach.”

The research found that there is definite desire for training among HR staff for a variety of tasks, such as workforce planning, employee communications and designing training materials – many of the tasks some are already using AI for without training.

Indeed, HR professionals want better AI tools and clearer guidance, with 70% wanting interactive workshops focused on HR use cases, and 63% wanting regular updates as tools and practices evolve.

Just over half (59%) of non-users said they need ‘hands-on, HR-specific training just to get started’.

“HR leaders need to model the behavior they want to see, such as by investing in their own AI upskilling and creating structured learning pathways for their teams,” adds Grassi.

This, he says, does not mean scheduling “one-time training” but building a “culture of continuous leaning that keeps pace with technological change.”

“This requires budgeting for training appropriately, measuring progress consistently, and tying it to career development pathways.”

HR staff know where the gaps are that need addressing, but mandates won’t help to do so

For HR leaders looking to adopt formal training on AI for HR, looking to the reasons why some have yet to take up these tools can provide a framework for training programs.

Respondents that haven’t started using AI pointed to concerns around data privacy and compliance (41%), a lack of knowledge to which tools are best suited for HR (38%), a lack of confidence in using AI properly (21%) and a fear of making mistakes (15%).

Grassi highlights that respondents who wanted to participate in interactive AI workshops focused on specific use cases are “telling leaders exactly what’s going to work.”

“Design training around real scenarios, such as writing better job descriptions and analyzing employee feedback, rather than theoretical concepts,” he recommends.

Meanwhile, there was one stark takeaway for HR and business leaders: mandating AI use does not help develop skills or competency.

The research found that for 41% of HR professionals, requiring the use of AI has actually created more work, pulling them away from other priorities.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents (63%) fear AI could lead to unfair personnel decisions, while 25% feel AI makes their job harder.

Microsoft made headlines recently by mandating AI use across significant parts of its operations, but Grassi tells UNLEASH that while mandates might lead to wider adoption, they do “little to address competency.”

“Mandates spread fear, not innovation,” he explains.

For HR professionals in particular, it may lead to unproductive work where they are required to police the use of AI in talent reviews rather than focus on employees’ actual performance.”

Grassi adds that workers need to comprehend why and how any technology benefits them before they will begin to embrace it. For HR professionals, boons such as productivity gains and improvements in work quality are “more compelling than top-down mandates,” he adds.

“At General Assembly, one of the things we have seen with adult learning is that people need autonomy and relevance to truly embrace new technologies. Mandates remove both.”