As organizations accelerate their investment in artificial intelligence, a clear signal is emerging from the data: human skills are not fading into the background. SHRM’s 2026 L&D Executives Benchmarking: Developing Critical Talent data brief shows that even as companies embed AI into daily operations, they are doubling down on the distinctly human capabilities that make that technology valuable in the first place. For HR leaders focused on L&D, this demonstrates the need to blend the advances of AI with the ingenuity of the people who make up their workforce.
The Data Tells a Human Story
Nearly half of organizations — 47% — have now implemented AI within their workflows, according to SHRM’s Navigating AI in the Workplace: 2026 report. That milestone might suggest a pivot away from human skill development. The opposite is true.
Alongside implementation, organizations are prioritizing “power skills,” durable skills that are vital to the workplace. For example, 56% identify critical thinking as an important priority over the next five years. Another 45% point to judgment and decision-making as a priority. These are not power skills relegated to a wish list. They are the competencies that determine whether AI output becomes a strategic asset or a costly liability.
The reason is straightforward. AI generates results at scale, but those results still require human interpretation. Someone must ask whether the output is accurate, appropriate, and aligned with organizational goals. As AI tools become more embedded in employee workflows, the ability to question, evaluate, and decide grows more valuable — not less.
The AI Upskilling Gap
The data reveals a strategic opening: Only 32% of organizations currently offer AI upskilling that goes beyond basic compliance training. The information sector leads this effort, driven by its high rate of AI adoption. But the lesson extends across every industry.
Compliance training teaches employees what they are permitted to do with AI. It does not teach them how to think critically about what AI produces. That distinction matters. Organizations that stop at compliance leave a significant portion of AI's potential untapped, because their employees are what holds AI accountable. Human intelligence can evaluate AI outputs for accuracy and potential biases. Additionally, humans can use creativity to turn AI outputs into action for the organization.
“We need to care about the people,” said Adam Cheyer, co-founder of Siri, in a session at SHRM's The AI+HI Project 2026. “People bring leadership, people bring creativity, they inspire others, they bring vision, and they make decisions. They're accountable in a way that AI machines are not.”
His point reflects what the benchmarking data confirms. AI adoption and human skill development are not competing priorities for HR executives. They are complementary investments that reinforce one another.
A Strategic Mandate for L&D
The path forward is clear for HR leaders focused on L&D. Prioritize the human skills that give AI its value: critical thinking, judgment, and sound decision-making. Then move your training beyond compliance to build genuine fluency in how, when, and why to trust AI-generated results.
Cheyer encourages leaders to remember what AI can do. “It’s all about what AI enables us to do more than we could have done before,” he said. “If this happens for everyone in our organization, that gets exciting.”
With technology transformations across the board, new capabilities and “expanded superpowers,” as Cheyer calls them, emerge. HR leaders are in a place where they can help their organization through the transformation by building AI fluency and opening the door to more opportunities in the future.
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