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Seven in 10 UK bosses believe the rise of AI will require them to work more closely with their people, finds Hemsley Fraser survey.
The assumption that AI will lead to a more automated, less human workplace is proving misguided with seven in 10 (73%) UK business leaders believing that they will need to work more closely with their employees as AI takes hold, not less.
This is according to new research* across 1,000 UK business decision makers by global learning and people development partner Fraser which finds that rather than distancing leaders from their teams, AI adoption is amplifying the need for active, present, human-centred leadership.
A clear majority of survey respondents (60%) are basing business decisions on a blend of AI and human instinct or experience, recognising that AI will always have blind spots. Meanwhile, just one quarter (26%) rely primarily on data and AI analysis only and 14% on gut feel alone, saying that AI models can’t understand context or ethics.
Yet not everyone feels equipped for the AI age. 39% of business leaders say they wish they had developed technology skills earlier in their career (the single most wished-for skill) ahead of leadership (29%) and professional networking (29%). Women feel this gap more acutely than men (44% vs 36%).
However the desire for a stronger technology grounding may be misplaced. When asked what they value most in new hires and colleagues the same bosses cited the ability to balance digital-technical skills with human-social ones (28%), followed by people skills (24%) and adaptability (23%).
There is some confusion however as to how organisations should best adapt for the AI world, with 28% saying their biggest obstacle to investing in skills is not knowing which capabilities to upskill their workforce with as new technologies arrive. A further 27% struggle to identify the skills needed for different roles, and 25% are unsure what skills their organisation needs to cope with AI at all.
Despite this uncertainty, AI confidence is holding, with 62% of business leaders feeling more secure in their role than they did a year ago. Additionally, 79% report that AI is already valuable within their organisation compared to 72%** agreeing with this point in 2025.
"The challenge is not whether or how to engage with AI, it is knowing how to build the human foundations that allow it to succeed,” said Lynsey Whitmarsh, CEO, at Hemsley Fraser. “The organisations that will win are not the ones with the most AI tools, but the ones who are also doubling down on the human qualities that technology cannot match: communication, coaching, and context, and the human behavioural side of the technology transformation.”
