By the numbers: Use AI to fill the IT skills gap
According to the '2025 AI Skills Report' by Pluralsight, 65% of organizations had to abandon AI projects due to a lack of AI skills. Don't be another statistic; invest in your staff.
AI is in demand and easily accessible for enterprises of all sizes. However, just because it is available doesn't mean your staff are prepared to use it. Without upskilling and staff involvement, a skills gap can cause AI projects to die on arrival.
AI is a well-known technology that stokes employees' fear of being replaced in the workplace. According to the "2025 AI Skills Report" by Pluralsight, 34% of technology professionals feel that it is extremely or very likely that they will be replaced by AI. However, that hasn't slowed workplace adoption -- the same report found that 84% of executives and IT professionals say using AI has made their lives easier.
IT professionals can use AI in various areas, including the following:
- AI cloud services management.
- Data modeling and analysis.
- Task automation.
- Data library and software framework management.
- Retrieval-augmented generation.
- Natural language processing.
AI's success within the organization hinges on creating a collaborative journey with staff to close the skills gap. According to "Winning the AI Race" by Great Place To Work, three out of four employees said they would be excited to use AI at work if their company were more transparent about how AI could improve their workflow. They are also very interested in being trained on AI tools and learning how those tools can boost their productivity.
Before hiring outside your organization, look for training programs. By investing in comprehensive upskilling initiatives and other talent development strategies, enterprises can bridge the skills gap and empower employees across various roles to use AI tools effectively.
Fast facts
Review these key statistics on the skills gap to help your business effectively implement a successful AI adoption strategy.
AI market continues to grow
- The U.S. AI market is predicted to increase from $173.56 billion in 2025 to approximately $851.46 billion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate of 19.33% from 2025 to 2034. "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market Size, Share, and Trends 2025 to 2034" by Precedence Statistics.
- Over 85% of organizations are currently using either managed or self-hosted AI services or tools. "The State of AI in the Cloud 2025" by Wiz.
- The top three departments that are using AI are IT (92%), customer service (52%) and marketing (45%). "The State of Enterprise AI and Modern Data Architectures" by Cloudera.
Businesses are increasing AI investments
- 47% of organizations have made significant investments in AI. "AI Investments Continue as Organizations Chase Benefits and Address Challenges" by Enterprise Strategy Group, now part of Omdia.
- 54% of companies are planning to formally adopt AI tools in the future. "2025 AI Skills Report" by Pluralsight.
- 92% of executives say they expect to boost spending on AI in the next three years. "Superagency in the workplace: Empowering people to unlock AI's full potential" by McKinsey & Company.
- Top reasons businesses implement AI are operational efficiency (48%), customer experience (44%) and innovation (42%). "AI Investments Continue as Organizations Chase Benefits and Address Challenges" by Enterprise Strategy Group, now part of Omdia.
AI skills gap creates a negative impact
- 65% of organizations had to abandon AI projects due to a lack of AI skills. "2025 AI Skills Report" by Pluralsight.
- 38% of organizations abandoned multiple AI initiatives due to a lack of skills. "2025 AI Skills Report" by Pluralsight.
- 38% of respondents said they lack the proper training or talent to manage AI tools. "The State of Enterprise AI and Modern Data Architectures" by Cloudera.
- 47% of C-suite leaders say their organizations are developing and releasing generative AI tools too slowly, citing talent skill gaps as a key reason for the delay. "Superagency in the workplace: Empowering people to unlock AI's full potential" by McKinsey & Company.
Get your team excited to use AI tools
- 4 out of 5 employees want more training on AI tools. "Workplace Learning Report 2025" by LinkedIn Learning.
- Employees are 20% more likely to lean into change and take the lead on AI transformation if they feel they have a voice in decisions that affect them. "Winning the AI Race" by Great Place To Work.
- Employees are 20% more likely to be engaged AI adopters if they receive training and development. "Winning the AI Race" by Great Place To Work.
- To ensure successful AI adoption, organizations are upskilling (59%), slowing AI adoption to minimize disruption (56%) and increasing salary or benefits (54%). "2025 AI Skills Report" by Pluralsight.
- Top AI skills individuals and organizations are using right now include AI cloud-services management (39%), data modeling and analysis (38%), ethical AI and bias mitigation (37%) and writing AI prompts (36%). "2025 AI Skills Report" by Pluralsight.
Kathleen Casey is site editor for Informa TechTarget's SearchCloudComputing. She plans and oversees the site, and she covers various cloud subjects, including infrastructure management, development and security.