Workers Are Ready For AI Agents — But Organizations Aren’t, Creating “AI Limbo”

VANCOUVER, Canada, [February 3, 2026] — The AI Limbo Report from People Managing People®, identifies a growing gap between employee expectations and organizational readiness as AI agents move closer to widespread workplace adoption. The research highlights a trend it calls “AI limbo,” where rapid AI adoption is outpacing the training, governance, and communication needed for employees to use AI effectively and responsibly.

The report is based on two independent surveys conducted in December 2025: one of 1,000 employed workers and another of 379 HR professionals, offering a rare side-by-side view of AI agent adoption from both employee and employer perspectives.

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The findings show that while most workers expect AI agents to be introduced in the near-term, HR leaders report significant gaps in training, governance, and organizational oversight.

Many organizations are operating in “AI limbo”—a state where employee enthusiasm and expectations for AI outpace the policies, systems, and support required for trusted, effective adoption.

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Key Findings

• 66% of workers feel positive about AI in the workplace, compared to just 13% who feel negative

• Only 36% of workers say they have received training on how to work with AI agents

• HR professionals believe 42% of employees are minimally prepared or not prepared at all to work with AI agents

• 78% of workers and HR professionals expect their organization to use at least one AI agent by the end of 2026

• Both workers and HR professionals agree AI agents should assist with work, not lead people

“What we’re seeing is a moment of AI Limbo,” said David Rice, Editorial Director at People Managing People. “Employees are largely open to AI agents and see real potential in how they can support everyday work, but many organizations have not yet put the training, governance, or communication in place to make that adoption feel safe or effective. The gap isn’t about resistance. It’s about readiness, and leaders who focus on enablement over speed will be better positioned as AI agents become part of daily work.”

AI Agents Are Becoming a Near-Term Workplace Reality

Worker responses show strong awareness and expectations around AI agent adoption.

• 78% of workers say they have heard the term “AI agent” used in a workplace context

• 58% say their employer has already mentioned or announced plans to introduce AI agents

• 75% believe AI agents are already in use or likely to be introduced within the next 12 months

HR responses confirm that adoption is already underway.

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• 65% of HR professionals say their organization has evaluated or discussed AI agents

• 21% report that AI agents are already being used today

• 78% of HR professionals expect their organization to use at least one AI agent by the end of 2026

Workers Are Optimistic, but Trust Depends on Proper Implementation

Most workers feel positively about AI agents, particularly when they are framed as tools that support productivity rather than replace people.

• 66% of workers say they feel positive about AI in the workplace

• Only 13% of workers report negative feelings toward AI

• 74% of workers would trust properly implemented AI agents to handle repetitive administrative tasks

• 76% of workers would trust AI agents to manage routine workflows such as scheduling or generating reports

HR leaders, however, take a more cautious view of trust.

• 61% of HR professionals say leadership is positive toward using AI agents

• Only 16% of HR professionals say they completely trust AI agents to reliably complete repetitive tasks

• Nearly 30% of HR professionals say they trust AI agents only a little or not at all

Workers and Leaders Worry About Different Risks

While workers are generally open to working alongside AI agents, both employees and leadership express concerns about how these systems are introduced and governed.

From the worker perspective:

• 53% of workers worry about potential errors or inaccuracies from AI agents

• 50% cite privacy or data security concerns

• 43% are concerned about reduced human interaction or connection

• 39% worry about losing job responsibilities or relevance

HR responses highlight leadership concerns:

• 61% of leaders are concerned about accuracy and errors

• 60% cite data privacy or security risks

• 39% worry about workforce anxiety or resistance

• 38% cite compliance or legal risk

Training and Readiness Lag Behind Adoption

Despite growing awareness and optimism, training remains one of the largest gaps in AI agent adoption.

From the worker perspective:

• 36% of workers say their employer has provided training on how to work effectively with AI agents

• 44% of workers say they have received no training at all

• 20% of workers say training is currently in progress

HR responses reinforce this readiness challenge.

• 18% of HR professionals say formal AI agent training has been delivered

• 29% of HR professionals say training is still in development

• 29% of HR professionals say no training has been provided

• HR professionals believe 42% of employees are minimally prepared or not prepared at all to work with AI agents

“AI agents aren’t a magic upgrade you flip on and walk away from,” said Tim Fisher, VP of AI. “When organizations rush adoption without clear ownership, training, and guardrails, they end up in AI Limbo. The teams that will win are the ones treating AI like a system change, not a shortcut. That means setting expectations, measuring outcomes, and keeping humans firmly in the loop.”

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Governance and Communication Remain Unclear

The study also reveals misalignment between who should oversee AI agents and how clearly plans are communicated.

Worker expectations around ownership:

• 51% of workers believe AI agents should be primarily managed by IT

• Only 9% of workers believe individual employees should manage AI agents

HR-reported governance models:

• 34% of HR professionals say AI agent oversight is shared between HR and IT

• 18% of HR professionals say HR is responsible

• 13% of HR professionals say IT alone is responsible

• 16% of HR professionals say no one is responsible yet

Communication gaps persist across organizations.

• 73% of HR professionals say leadership has discussed, evaluated, or announced AI agent adoption

• 42% of workers say their employer has not mentioned AI agents at all

Agreement on One Thing: AI Agents Should Assist, Not Lead

Despite differences in readiness and trust, workers and HR professionals show strong alignment on the role AI agents should play.

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Worker expectations:

• 57% of workers believe AI agents will be most effective in analytical work

• 52% of workers cite administrative work

• 42% of workers cite technical or operational work

• Only 26% of workers believe AI agents should handle managerial or leadership tasks

HR expectations closely mirror this view.

• 48% of HR professionals expect AI agents to support customer service tasks

• 48% of HR professionals expect AI agents to handle administrative work

• 42% of HR professionals expect AI agents to support analytical work

• Only 12% of HR professionals expect AI agents to be involved in leadership decision-making

Both workers and HR professionals emphasize safeguards as critical to success.

• 58% of workers say training would make AI agents feel safer and more productive

• 52% of workers want transparency around how AI agents make decisions

• 48% of workers want human oversight on all AI agent actions

• 61% of HR professionals say their organization will provide training

• 53% of HR professionals say human oversight will be required

• 40% of HR professionals say formal usage guidelines will be created

What This Means for Employers

The findings in this study suggest AI agent adoption is not being slowed by employee resistance but by organizational readiness. Workers are aware, optimistic, and willing to collaborate with AI agents, while HR professionals and leaders are still building the training, governance, and communication frameworks needed to deploy them responsibly. Organizations that move quickly to close these gaps are likely to see smoother adoption, higher trust, and stronger outcomes as AI agents become embedded in daily work.

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To view the full analysis or request expert commentary, visit https://peoplemanagingpeople.com/learning-development/ai-agents-workplace-adoption-gap/ or contact Joseph Santaella at [email protected]

Methodology

This study is based on two surveys conducted in December 2025 using the Pollfish survey platform. The first survey captured responses from 1,000 employed workers across a range of industries and roles. The second survey gathered insights from 379 HR professionals, including HR managers, specialists, people operations professionals, directors, and executives.

Both surveys included a mix of awareness, perception, and expectation-based questions focused on the use of AI agents in the workplace. Topics covered included familiarity with AI agents, anticipated timelines for adoption, trust in AI agents for specific tasks, perceived readiness and training, governance and ownership, and concerns related to accuracy, data security, and workforce impact.

Together, the two surveys provide a dual-perspective view of how AI agents are being discussed, introduced, and governed within organizations, highlighting both employee sentiment and HR-led implementation considerations.

About People Managing People

People Managing People is the world’s most forward-thinking, community-led platform for leaders using AI to rethink work, redefine great leadership, and lead their teams into the future.

We serve those leading from the front—equipping executives and operations leaders driving AI-powered transformation across culture, systems, and outcomes. If you’re reshaping what work needs doing and how people do it to maximize business impact, you’re one of us.

Through bold ideas, practical insights, and a vibrant peer community, we help leaders build the tools, knowledge, and network to turn disruption into lasting advantage.

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