A new report, based on a survey of 5,000 knowledge workers at large companies in Australia’s peer markets of the US, UK and Canada, suggests that while AI tools are now ubiquitous, talent with genuine proficiency remains largely rare. Employees are using AI, but mostly in shallow, low-value ways that make little difference to productivity.
For Australian HR leaders, the message is straightforward. This is no longer an IT problem. This is a people, capability and job design issue that currently sits squarely in the HR tray.
Standards of proficiency that most workers cannot reach
Until recently, “AI proficiency” meant something fairly basic: understanding what these tools are, understanding the risks, and being able to create appropriate prompts. Over the past year, many organizations have focused on just that. Staff can now ask AI to summarize emails, organize drafts, and provide faster answers. They know roughly what not to paste into public chatbots.
But the report claims that standards will change again in 2026. Mastery now means something more demanding: being able to incorporate AI into meaningful, value-added work tasks every week. It’s not just a one-time shortcut; it’s a consistent part of how we actually work, including recruiting funnels, call centers, project delivery, finance, legal, and operations.
By that standard, the numbers are grim.
