In a world where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries by the day, how ready are we really?

To find out, we surveyed 864 professionals across Australia and New Zealand, including Chief Execs, HR leaders, and tech specialists, about their experiences, expectations, and concerns around AI. The results reveal a mix of excitement and uncertainty, optimism and hesitation. In short: the AI shift is here, but many are still finding their footing.

Confidence is low but belief is high

Over 90% of business leaders believe AI will positively impact their teams within the next two years. But when asked how well their organisation is responding to this change, just 5% said “extremely well.” That’s a gap worth paying attention to.

“We’re seeing two extremes,” says JP Browne, Practice Manager from our office in Auckland. “In some companies, AI tools are already being used on the ground, but leadership is scrambling to put the right controls in place. In others, execs are racing ahead out of FOMO, and tech teams are having to slow them down to make sure it’s the right solution.”

In both cases, the need for clarity, structure and strategy is clear. This isn’t just about embracing new tools, it’s about aligning people, processes, and platforms around a shared vision for the future.

More defence than offence

One in three organisations in our survey have already implemented policies restricting external AI tools, a sign that risk awareness is high. But in many boardrooms, fear is still outweighing forward thinking.

Rather than asking “How can we lead with AI?”, the question for many remains “How do we contain it?”

This caution is especially apparent in highly regulated sectors. As JP explains:

“Insurance, for example, is cautiously optimistic. They’re exploring AI but always keeping a human in the loop. Nobody wants to be the company on the front page because a bot denied a claim.”

Strategy, skills and leadership: the missing pieces

So, what’s holding organisations back? According to our data, the top three blockers are:

• No clear strategy – 41% of respondents say their organisation hasn’t defined a direction for AI.
• Skills gaps – while 52% of organisations are offering training, many teams are still catching up.
• Unclear ownership and goals – 34% say there’s no clear owner for AI, and 41% report unclear goals.

“The biggest shift we’re seeing in hiring isn’t just for AI Engineers,” says JP. “It’s for the roles that support AI behind the scenes. Data Engineers, Infrastructure Engineers, platform specialists who can enable the functionality in AWS, Microsoft, Salesforce and so on. That foundation is everything.”

Interestingly, only 12% of organisations are planning to hire an AI leader in the next 12-18 months, which suggests many are still unsure of how to structure their approach.

Agentic AI is coming and workers are wary

As AI tools become more autonomous, the implications for the workforce are getting real. One in four workers in our survey said they’re concerned about job displacement due to agentic AI systems, a tension that may slow down adoption if not addressed head-on.

“This isn’t a tech challenge, it’s a leadership challenge,” says Jack Jorgensen, Data, AI & Innovation Practice Lead from our consultancy arm, Avec. “Organisations need to move beyond fear-based narratives. That means involving their people, investing in relevant training, and being transparent about the intent behind every AI initiative.”

Where to from here?

If there’s one takeaway from this research, it’s that no one has it all figured out, and that’s okay. AI transformation doesn’t have to be perfect to begin. But it does need to begin with purpose.

That means building AI into your strategy, not just your tech stack. It means empowering teams to experiment, not just comply. And it means treating people, their concerns, their skills, and their potential, as central to the journey, not a barrier to it.

If you’re curious to explore more of what we learned from 864 professionals across Australia and New Zealand, you can access the full findings in our free report here.