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A significant gap exists between the ambition to automate work and the strategic clarity needed to do it effectively, according to new research. Beamery, a leading AI platform for workforce transformation, has released a report revealing that while 99% of C-suite executives are automating tasks, nearly half (49%) struggle with choosing the right ones to target. This strategic uncertainty is compounded by a disconnect with HR leaders and a workforce that believes bigger automation opportunities are being missed.
Beamery research finds 49% of C-suite leaders struggle to choose the right tasks to automate.
99% of organizations are automating work, but 34% of employees say they are missing bigger opportunities.
Only 29% of leaders analyze task duplication across roles when deciding what to automate.
A disconnect exists with HR, as only 30% of HR leaders are involved in AI strategy from the outset.
73% of early-career employees are more likely to stay due to AI creating growth opportunities.
91% of C-suite leaders expect their organizational charts to change in 2026 due to AI.
The research, titled "Inside the Human-Machine Economy: A 2026 Report," identifies the core challenges enterprises face in their AI automation strategies. The biggest hurdles for C-suite leaders are choosing the right tasks to automate (49%) and ensuring data quality (48%). Many organizations are not leveraging key decision-making criteria; only 29% look at task duplication across the company, and less than half consistently consider cost reduction (49%) or time savings (46%). This suggests that automation decisions are often made in silos without a holistic view of the organization's workflows. “We’re in the era of the Great AI Workforce Redesign, where organizations are reimagining work through the lens of intelligent automation to unlock new value,” said Has Dosanjh, CEO of Beamery.
The impact of AI is causing a fundamental redesign of the workforce. A overwhelming 91% of C-suite leaders expect their organizational charts to change in 2026, with 43% anticipating fewer entry-level workers and 26% expecting to consolidate senior leadership positions. Conversely, 93% foresee new roles or departments being created. Despite these shifts, the effect on employee morale is positive: 73% of early-career employees said AI adoption has made them more likely to stay with their current employer, citing new growth opportunities and more engaging, high-value work.
A critical finding of the report is the strategic gap involving HR leadership. While HR leaders report having more input than two years ago, there is a clear disconnect on the timing of their involvement. Only 12% of C-suite leaders say the CHRO has the most influence in AI workforce decisions. While 60% of C-suite leaders believe HR is involved from the outset during strategy development, only 30% of HR leaders agree, with most being brought in later during implementation planning. This late involvement can undermine the return on investment and effectiveness of AI initiatives. “Our research shows CHROs and HR leaders are frequently brought in only after key AI decisions are made, which can undermine the ROI of these initiatives,” added Dosanjh.
The Beamery report paints a picture of an economy in transition, where the potential of AI is widely recognized but the path to realizing its full value is fraught with strategic and organizational challenges. Success in the "human-machine economy" will depend on leaders gaining deeper visibility into daily work, involving HR as a strategic partner from the start, and focusing on automation that truly empowers employees and drives competitive advantage.
About Beamery
Beamery is the AI platform for workforce transformation: We are trusted by global enterprises to plan, build, and optimize their future of work.
By connecting skills and task intelligence to real-time workforce data, Beamery’s agentic talent advisor enables businesses to hire, redeploy, and reskill talent – and adapt to change with confidence.
We’re on a mission to create a world where employee skills and contributions are seen and understood, access to opportunity is equitable, and every organization can responsibly unlock the full potential of its workforce with AI.
TechIntelPro empowers B2B technology decision-makers with the latest industry trends, deep insights, leadership perspectives and actionable intelligence to drive both organizational and professional milestones—and thrive on the tech pulse.