Bet on talent, not just AI

For decades, digital transformation raised hopes of simpler work. And while many companies found complexity instead of clarity, the story isn’t over. AI brings a new wave of hope and energy, and with that, a new kind of tension.

Whenever I connect with business leaders, I can feel their deep optimism and sincere sense of responsibility to deliver on AI transformation. Leaders want to boost productivity and stand by their people. They’re guiding teams through uncertainty while inspiring them to embrace change.

That’s why AI transformation is a people challenge as much as a tech challenge. Org charts are shifting. Roles are evolving. And the new priority for leaders is equipping people with the skills and wisdom to adopt AI and power this transformation with confidence.

Leaders can do this with a three-step playbook:

1. BUILD THE HR ORGANIZATION FOR THE FUTURE.

If HR operating models don’t evolve, leaders are asking their people to build the future on quicksand. AI demands new ways of working, which is why HR leaders are stepping into hybrid positions that mirror the real world of work, where talent and technology are intrinsically linked.

That starts by making HR and IT true partners so they can co-create AI experiences that solve real business problems. Fifty-five percent of organizations have launched 100+ AI use cases, but only 19% are tracking how those use cases impact business goals. Siloed efforts can’t scale.  

That’s why we’ve built what we call an “AI Factory,” a model to collect, evaluate, and prioritize use cases quickly and ethically, at scale, across the business. Employees have submitted thousands of AI use case ideas. About 100 of them have gotten past our prioritization framework—meaning we believe they can deliver ROI, safely and at scale—and we’ve prioritized about a quarter that demonstrate the most value.

As technology evolves, so must the roles around it. Leaders need to imagine new roles that move HR from an administrative function to a strategic hub. Think AI orchestration designers, or AI ethics officers. These roles are tailored to the company’s business needs and critical to a people-centric AI transformation.

2. ENABLE AI ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION AND RESKILL WITH URGENCY.

AI is already increasing what employees can do and changing their daily tasks. To lead through change, we need to understand not just what people need to learn, but how they learn best.

It starts with the concept of an “AI heatmap” to identify which tasks can be automated or augmented and quantify potential gains. That insight helps leaders rethink how they grow and support their teams.

By using AI and data, we can map current skills, surface gaps, and design targeted, real-time development paths. Then, we need to do the hard work: Train people to know, work with, build, and lead with AI.

We’ve built an AI-native learning model through ServiceNow University to do just that. Our goal is to train 3 million learners by 2027.

And this isn’t just a nice-to-have. The skills gap is real. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs report, 63% of employers see it as a major barrier to transformation. If we don’t close this gap now, we’ll never realize AI’s full potential.

3. TRANSFORM THE WORKFORCE LIKE IT’S YOUR FULL-TIME JOB (IT IS!).

Leaders are steering through massive change. Some employees will fear the unknown. Organizations that invest in an agile, resilient workforce, one person at a time, will win the AI race.

That’s why leaders need to take an “X-ray” of their organization—not just charts and systems, but a deep look at the workforce structure, skills, and capacity to grow. Then, they can start closing gaps and ensuring AI is adopted in a way that’s human at the core while fueling business growth.

Old org charts need a rebrand. Work is more dynamic and cross-functional. And now, we have AI working alongside people. Because of this, we need to move beyond traditional, linear models of change management toward continuous, adaptive, and decentralized change readiness.

This agentic AI workforce will require thoughtful planning, human wisdom, a focus on well-being, and a strong culture at the core. That’s why collaboration and orchestration are critical. If leaders get this right, they can unlock new business models and real growth.

THE RESULT? VALUE

Leaders who follow these steps can supercharge business results while avoiding the pitfalls that slow AI adoption. At ServiceNow, we track adoption and ROI through our AI Control Tower, a real-time measurement that creates a flywheel of value: unlock time, reinvest it, and grow faster.

The opportunity is clear: Embrace AI, lead with confidence, and bring people along the journey. The organizations that thrive will help people and AI technology co-create, not just coexist.

Jacqui Canney is chief people and AI enablement officer of ServiceNow.