New Data Finds Executives Focused on Cutting Jobs for AI Efficiency Are Half as Likely to Invest in AI Upskilling

Businessolver research reveals a C-suite divided over whether AI should make the workforce more capable or leaner, while CIOs and CTOs are 25 points more likely than CFOs to worry that technology will outpace internal systems and workforce skills.

DENVER, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Executives investing in AI for cost savings via headcount reduction are nearly half as likely to invest in the AI upskilling and workforce readiness needed to enable the AI efficiency they seek, according to new Businessolver research.

Among the 27% of C-suite executives who name cost savings through headcount reduction as a top AI investment goal, just 18% also prioritize AI upskilling, compared with 35% of CXOs who do not prioritize AI for headcount reduction. The same leaders trail on predictive analytics (21% vs. 44%), time savings and productivity, and reducing employees' administrative work — the investments that make a workforce more capable.

"AI does not create value on its own. People create value when they're enabled with the right set of skills and confidence," said Sony SungChu, Chief AI Officer at Businessolver. "If leaders reduce capacity without building capability, they could risk undermining the very productivity gains they're chasing."

The survey of 300 C-suite leaders and 1,000 employees is part of Businessolver's 11th annual State of Workplace Empathy study.

The report also revealed:

• CXOs reporting significant financial growth in the past year, report double the layoffs (23% vs. 11%), more recruiting (37% vs. 29%), and lower benefits investment (48% vs. 61%) — a signal of targeted workforce redesign, not simple downsizing.
• Executives and employees see AI differently. Nine in 10 CXOs say employees are excited about AI, yet 39% of employees worry about their future, 31% fear falling behind, and 49% say they've been left to figure out AI on their own.
• The C-suite is operating with different views of future workforce risk. While 88% of CIOs/CTOs worry technology will outpace internal systems or workforce skills, 63% of CFOs share that concern, a 25-point gap between the leaders closest to implementation and their finance counterparts.
• CXOs prioritizing AI-driven headcount reduction are more likely to see empathy as an obstacle. Nearly one-third (30%) say organizational empathy "gets in the way" of their personal business goals, compared with 19% of other CXOs.

"AI will change jobs and economic pressure will force hard decisions," said Jon Shanahan, President and CEO of Businessolver. "These are challenges but also opportunities for companies to demonstrate empathy in the face of a generational workplace shift, while creating stronger, more resilient companies — not just more efficient ones."

Read the full report here.

About Businessolver

Businessolver is an independently owned benefits technology company advancing a more proactive, connected, and anticipatory benefits experience. Through a secure SaaS platform, governed intelligence, and an always-on service model designed to act early and stay aligned, Businessolver helps organizations reduce complexity, strengthen engagement, and deliver consistent outcomes across total wellbeing. With more than two decades of innovation, Businessolver unifies people, data, and operations so that insights turn into action — and benefits work better for employers, employees, and partners. 

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SOURCE Businessolver