46% of organisations exclude CHROs from AI strategy decisions: IBM study finds

A significant proportion of organisations are developing AI strategies without direct involvement from their chief human resources leaders, according to a new study by the IBM Institute for Business Value. The research found that 46% of organisations do not involve their Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) when defining AI strategy, despite the technology's growing impact on workforce design, skills development and organisational change.

The findings come from a global study conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value in collaboration with Oxford Economics, surveying 1,500 CHROs and senior workforce leaders alongside 8,800 full-time employees across multiple countries and industries.

The study suggests a disconnect between AI transformation efforts and workforce leadership at a time when organisations are reshaping jobs, workflows and decision-making processes around artificial intelligence.

Human capital leaders remain absent from many AI discussions

According to IBM's research, nearly half of organisations continue to define AI strategies without involving the CHRO, even as workforce readiness, skills development and change management emerge as central challenges in AI adoption.

The study also found that only 28% of CHROs report having a joint roadmap with IT teams supported by a shared operating cadence, while 73% say they struggle to coordinate consistently across the C-suite.

IBM's findings indicate that stronger collaboration between HR and other business functions may influence employee trust and accountability in AI-enabled environments.

Key findings from the study

• 46% of organisations do not involve CHROs when AI strategy is being defined
• 28% of CHROs report a shared AI roadmap with IT
• 73% of CHROs struggle to coordinate consistently across the C-suite
• 36% of CHROs say unclear accountability complicates AI deployment
• 41% of CHROs believe employees may not feel safe challenging or overriding AI outputs
• 72% of organisations make limited or no use of AI within HR functions

Clear governance linked to stronger outcomes

The IBM Institute for Business Value reported that organisations generating the greatest value from AI are redesigning work, decision-making structures and workforce capabilities around both people and technology.

The study found that organisations which clearly classify workflows as human-led, AI-assisted or AI-executed report:

• 18% reduction in risk
• 20% improvement in quality outcomes

Researchers also identified a link between HR involvement and employee confidence in AI-driven decisions. Where CHROs share responsibility for determining which decisions remain human-led, 76% of employees report feeling safe questioning or overriding AI recommendations. The figure falls to 43% when HR serves only in an advisory capacity.

Workforce concerns continue to grow

The report highlights growing concerns around skills erosion and accountability as AI becomes embedded in daily work.

Among employees worried about skills erosion, three in four said AI has already weakened at least some of their capabilities. Meanwhile, 60% of employees expressed concern about skills erosion overall, with critical thinking identified most frequently as a declining capability.

There is also a notable difference in how employees and CHROs view future workforce priorities. While 71% of CHROs identify the ability to supervise, validate and override AI outputs as the most important workforce skill, only 29% of employees rank judgment as a priority.

HR's own AI maturity remains limited

Despite expectations that HR functions will help lead workforce transformation, IBM's research suggests adoption within HR departments remains relatively low.

Key findings include:

• 72% of organisations make limited or no use of AI within HR
• CHROs rate HR's AI literacy capability at 13%
• AI performance measurement capability stands at 16%
• Change management capability for AI adoption stands at 20%

The study also found that organisations with mature HR AI capabilities, including governance, architecture and measurement frameworks, are nearly twice as likely to report a higher number of positive business performance indicators.