No Roadmap, No Problem: How Enterprises Are Reinventing the AI Workforce

Enterprise companies are confronting the realities of rapid artificial intelligence (AI) adoption faster than most would have anticipated even one year ago. What started as cautious experimentation has become a sprint to integrate the technology across operations, with unclear playbooks and uneven levels of preparedness. AI’s potential to transform productivity, decision-making and competitiveness is clear. But so are its growing pains, especially when it comes to the workforce.

PYMNTS Intelligence’s latest research finds that while most large companies see AI as critical to workforce performance, their approaches diverge sharply across industry segments. Services firms emphasize data-driven insights and decision-making. Those in the goods space, including producers, wholesalers and retailers, focus on output and efficiency. Meanwhile, technology companies cite competitiveness as their top driver for AI adoption. These distinct priorities underscore that there is no single roadmap for AI-driven change.

At the same time, consensus is growing clear about how AI will transform the workforce. Half of surveyed CFOs expect AI to create new roles requiring new skills. At the same time, 47% believe it will significantly reduce headcount. Most firms also recognize the challenge of managing this balance. Only six in 10 say they feel even somewhat prepared for AI’s workforce impact, with much lower readiness among services firms. Organizational complexity, skill gaps and employee resistance stand out as some of the most significant barriers.

This mix of optimism and caution reflects the stage many enterprises now find themselves in. They recognize the need for AI, but are still struggling to implement it effectively in practice. The question is no longer whether AI will reshape jobs, but rather how each industry will chart the path ahead.

These are just some of the findings detailed in this edition of the CAIO Report, “No Roadmap, No Problem: How Enterprises Are Reinventing the AI Workforce,” a PYMNTS Intelligence exclusive. This edition explores how companies are adapting to the increasing presence of AI in the workforce. It draws on insights from a survey of 60 CFOs working at U.S. firms that generated at least $1 billion in revenues last year. The survey was conducted from Sept. 16, 2025, to Sept. 26, 2025.

• AI Adoption Reveals Industry Priorities, Not a Singular Playbook
• AI Workforce Readiness and Strategy Reflect Industry Divides
• Firms View AI’s Workforce Impact Through a Cautious Lens
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• Methodology

AI Adoption Reveals Industry Priorities, Not a Singular Playbook

In each industry segment, CFOs identify three key drivers for introducing AI in ways that impact employment at their companies. More than one-third (34%) cite increased output as their top motivation. Twenty-four percent say that staying competitive is the top factor. Lastly, 19% say that enhancing decision-making with better data insights is their first priority.

However, these trends vary widely across industry segments as different dynamics inform how and why companies use AI to reshape work. For CFOs in the goods segment, increased output stands as the top reason for adopting AI, cited by 48%. CFOs at service providers most often prioritize enhanced decision-making, at 30%, reflecting the importance of data-driven insights in this vertical. Those at tech firms primarily identify the need to remain competitive, at 42%, suggesting that many feel pressure to stay innovative and maintain an edge in rapidly evolving markets.

The wide variation across industry segments highlights that there is no universal playbook for how AI reshapes work. Instead, each industry has priorities that reveal where company leadership believes AI is most necessary and will bring the greatest performance boost.

Zooming out to the broader impact of AI on the workforce, the data indicate that it is, in part, redistributing work and replacing jobs. Half of CFOs predict that AI will create new job roles requiring new skills. Forty-seven percent expect it to reduce overall headcount significantly. These findings vary relatively little across industry segments, underscoring a growing consensus that AI will lead to a more efficient and higher-skill workforce rather than a uniformly smaller one.

AI Workforce Readiness and Strategy Reflect Industry Divides

Overall, 60% of CFOs say their firms are at least somewhat ready to manage AI-driven change, including just 12% who believe they are very prepared. Nearly all of the rest (38%) remain neutral, indicating a lack of confidence about their ability to adapt.

Preparation for AI workforce shifts is uneven across industries, though. Tech firms show the highest readiness, with 75% of CFOs rating their companies as at least somewhat prepared, pointing to early adoption and strong ability to adapt to new technology. Goods firms follow, at 63%. Service firms lag significantly behind, with less than half (48%) of CFOs expressing confidence in handling the AI transition.

A closer look at the data reveals that companies within each industry segment have widely different approaches to managing the AI-driven workforce change. Companies in the goods sector primarily focus on hiring new talent with AI expertise, with 30% of segment CFOs ranking this as their top strategy, and reducing costs through lower headcount at 26%. Services firms mainly prioritize changing how work is done. For example, 25% of CFOs in the vertical say that automating tasks is the most important way to manage AI-related changes, while 20% favor redesigning roles to combine human and AI capabilities. Tech firms, meanwhile, are more diversified in their strategies, suggesting both experimentation and confidence in technology adoption.

Firms View AI’s Workforce Impact Through a Cautious Lens

Most CFOs believe that the impact AI has on the workforce will be mixed in terms of economic outcomes. In fact, roughly two-thirds (65%) view it as equally positive and negative, compared to 32% who say it will be mostly or completely beneficial. Only a few CFOs (3.3%) see the impact of AI on the workforce as negative overall.

Once again, the data reveals notable differences across segments. Half of tech CFOs express optimism, pointing to confidence that AI will boost the productivity and efficiency of their workforces. CFOs in services are more divided: 38% lean positive, while 57% hold mixed views. Uncertainty runs highest in the goods segment. Only 19% of CFOs assess the economic impact as mostly beneficial, while 78% think it is equally positive and negative.

Behind the mix of optimism and uncertainty, CFOs identify a range of key risks as AI redefines work at their companies. Increased operational complexity and management challenges ranks as the top concern across segments. Nearly two-thirds of CFOs identify this as a risk, with 50% ranking it as the most significant issue.

Skill gaps represent another key challenge, named by 58% of CFOs, indicating a scarcity of workers trained for AI. This concern runs especially high for services firms, at 71%. Notably, one-third of tech firms view this as the greatest risk they face from AI’s impact on their company jobs. Other key challenges include employee resistance to adopting the technology, perceived reputational risk with employees, customers or the public, and legal and compliance issues.

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Methodology

“No Roadmap, No Problem: How Enterprises Are Reinventing the AI Workforce,” a PYMNTS Intelligence exclusive report, examines how companies are adapting to the growing role of AI in the workforce. It draws on insights from a survey of 60 CFOs working at U.S. firms that generated at least $1 billion in revenue last year. The survey was conducted from Sept. 16, 2025, to Sept. 26, 2025.