The communication gap in the AI workplace

Australian companies are redesigning jobs, tasks and teams around artificial intelligence faster than many are explaining to employees what those changes will mean for their work.

Nearly half of Australian IT decision-makers and business leaders surveyed for HP’s 2026 Work Relationship Index say AI is already changing tasks, workflows, teams or roles. More than half say its adoption has created new roles or teams.

But only 19 per cent of Australian knowledge workers say there has been discussion about AI’s potential impact on roles or headcount, while 40 per cent say their organisation clearly communicates how AI and new technologies may affect their role.

Brad Pulford, HP vice president and managing director for Australia and New Zealand, says uncertainty can grow when the technology moves faster than the conversation around it.

“AI is moving faster inside organisations than people’s understanding of it,” Pulford says. “When people see change but don’t understand it, uncertainty fills the gap. Leaders need to close it deliberately: explain what’s changing, who it affects and why, and check that the message is really landing.”

Gartner has found a similar gap between AI adoption and workforce readiness. Its Global Talent Monitor survey of 574 Australian employees, conducted in the first quarter of 2026, found only half reported receiving clear guidance, training or support for AI use. Fewer said their organisation had communicated how their roles would evolve.

At the same time, 38 per cent of Australian employees were expected to use AI in their role. Of those, 85 per cent had access to enterprise AI tools, while 86 per cent were also using personal AI tools to improve efficiency or complete more complex tasks.

Explaining what changes

Businesses have spent heavily on AI tools and are beginning to redesign work around them.

HP found 57 per cent of Australian IT decision-makers and 53 per cent of business leaders said AI adoption had created new roles or teams. Pulford says relatively few leaders reported that AI was replacing jobs.

Employees are nevertheless thinking about what the technology could mean for their careers. Six in 10 Australian knowledge workers surveyed by HP said they were prioritising transferable skills over climbing a traditional career ladder.

“Communication and employee experience need to be considered part of AI implementation because employees ultimately determine whether the technology delivers value,” Pulford says. “You can deploy very sophisticated technology, but if people don’t understand it, trust it or know how to use it effectively, the implementation will fall short.”

HP’s research found trust in leadership was the biggest driver of how people felt about work. Pulford says employers need to explain where new roles are emerging and give workers a path to acquire the skills required for them.

“At its best, AI can help take friction out of repetitive tasks and create more space for creativity, problem-solving, customer engagement and human connection,” he says. “But employees will only see that opportunity if organisations give them the skills and confidence to participate in it.”

Beyond access to AI

Confidence with AI is not developing evenly across the workforce.

HP’s findings link skills with confidence. Across every generation, most Australian knowledge workers surveyed said access to upskilling made them less anxious about AI’s impact on their role and employer investment in their development made them feel more secure.

Pulford says training needs to connect AI with the work employees do every day.

“Confidence comes from giving people the opportunity to use AI in ways that are relevant to their day-to-day work,” he says. “That means moving beyond broad awareness or one-off training and helping employees understand where AI can genuinely make their day easier, where it can save time, and where human judgment still matters.”

Tools for changing work

Employees also need hardware capable of running the tools businesses expect them to use.

Only about a third of Australian knowledge workers surveyed by HP said they had been given an upgraded computer to run AI, compared with about half of business leaders and IT decision-makers.

Pulford says organisations should audit the technology their employees already have.

“Technology should make change easier to navigate, not add another layer of complexity,” he says. “Closing that gap with capable devices, reliable tools and proactive IT support is one of the fastest ways to make change feel manageable.”

AI-ready workplace technology can combine local AI processing with cloud services, security and collaboration tools. HP’s Intel Powered EliteBook X G2i, for example, provides on-device AI capability alongside enterprise security and AI-enabled collaboration features in a device designed for different working settings.

Pulford says the broader requirement is for technology to adapt to the work employees are doing rather than forcing them to continually adjust to new systems.

“Employees don’t want more technology for technology’s sake. They want tools that give them the confidence to do their best work as their roles evolve,” he says.

Technology alone, however, cannot tell an employee whether their job will change, what skills they will need or which decisions will remain theirs.

As companies redesign work around AI, those questions will become harder to leave unanswered. Giving employees AI tools is one thing. Giving them a clear understanding of what the technology means for their jobs, skills and responsibilities is another.

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