The AI perception gap: How to ensure employers and workers are ready for imminent transformation

Much like the internet revolution decades ago, the AI transformation is ushering in an age of exciting change and, for some, overwhelming uncertainty. In a workplace environment where technology and necessary skills change every day, the individuals and organizations that will thrive are those that find opportunity in the unknown. The question is: How? And what could hold them back?

Recent research from Udemy and other partners suggests several barriers to AI transformation are at play. Some are perceptual: Professionals today across several major economies see AI reshaping society, but fail to grasp its impact on their own roles, delaying the upskilling needed to future-proof careers and organizations. What’s more, many workers, particularly the entry-level workforce, may not be focused on the right mix of skills, falsely thinking themselves “expert” in essential capabilities like communications or critical thinking.

Another barrier is practical: a lack of employer support. When organizations provide structured, personalized skill journeys, employees respond with strong engagement and can build real career resilience.

Our data reveals a workforce that understands transformation is afoot, and, empowered with the resources they need, will take action to prepare. What’s needed now is alignment on how we ensure that our workforce develops the AI fluency and soft skills proficiency they need to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven economy that's advancing at an accelerating pace.

One major obstacle to workforce readiness is the prevalence of optimism bias, a psychological pattern that underestimates the likelihood of negative outcomes. Our research, conducted by YouGov, suggests that while professionals across several surveyed geographies view AI as a disruptive force, many assume their own roles will remain untouched. The contrast is especially sharp in the UK, where 70% of workers worry about AI’s economic impact, but only 39% believe their own jobs are at risk.

Without any interventions, this gap in perception could lead workers to deprioritize essential upskilling, leaving them unprepared for rapid workplace change. Luckily, there’s a solution: When AI upskilling is personalized, well-designed and clearly tied to business goals, employees show up. In the US, an impressive 70% of workers surveyed said they completed AI training when their employers made it available. Simply offering AI reskilling videos isn't enough; organizations need comprehensive, purpose-driven programmes that deliver measured outcomes to truly drive workforce transformation.

This enthusiasm is reflected by our data: As of September 2025, AI represented 67.5% of learning priorities across the industries and markets surveyed. This is a powerful reminder that awareness isn’t the barrier; opportunity is.

Another way to make training sticky is embedding it directly into the flow of work. Innovations like Model Context Protocol (MCP) align upskilling with job-specific responsibilities, creating a seamless learning journey. What's more, AI assessments have dramatically lowered the cost and complexity of understanding skills gaps across organizations. These breakthroughs allow us to personalize learning pathways with unprecedented precision, focusing resources where they'll have the greatest impact. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement powered by AI-driven insights, organizations can encourage employees to prioritize essential career skills while delivering measurably better ROI for both learners and enterprises.

Our research suggests that success in today’s job market requires a balance of both technical fluency and soft skills proficiency. But employees may be falling behind on the latter.

Employers are prioritizing soft skills in their hiring, according to Udemy and Indeed’s research. At the same time, hiring managers consistently identify soft skills as critical deficiencies, especially in the entry-level workforce. Managers consistently identify communication and critical-thinking shortcomings in their teams, while the majority of workers remain unaware these gaps even exist. This demonstrates the fundamental challenge in how we measure and develop human potential. This perception gap explains why so many upskilling initiatives fail to stick and why organizations struggle to see meaningful ROI from their learning investments.

While technical skills dominate employee learning agendas, employers must consistently emphasize soft, or adaptive, skills and provide pathways for them to develop those capabilities too.

The rapid rise of AI will inevitably continue to reshape roles, workflows and entire industries. The key for professionals and organizations to thrive in this environment is proactive upskilling in both technical and soft skills. Employees can better prepare by seeking structured learning opportunities and experimenting with AI tools in their day-to-day work. Equally important, employers must provide accessible, well-integrated training platforms that embed dynamic upskilling opportunities directly into workflows and align with real business needs. AI fluency is a shared responsibility where organizations and their people can navigate uncertainty with confidence and turn disruption into advantage.