AI Training Is Now a Business Essential, Not a Nice-to-Have
Quality AI training has moved from a useful extra to core business infrastructure. Evidence from The Adaptavist Group’s Digital Etiquette report shows a clear pattern: when people receive structured, sustained AI training, they save significant time, feel more confident using AI, and can clearly demonstrate its impact on the organisation.
Training unlocks real time savings
Employees who receive more than 20 hours of AI training are far more likely to save at least 11 hours a week using AI. That is effectively 1.4 working days returned every week.
A notable proportion of this highly trained group report saving more than 30 hours a week, while those with under an hour of training typically save an hour or less. Training depth matters.
Training turns AI from experiment into essential
People with 20+ hours of AI training are over four times more likely to describe AI as essential to their role compared with colleagues who have received no training.
The difference is not just confidence, it is capability. Deeper training helps people move beyond basic prompts and into redesigning workflows, so AI supports higher-value work rather than simply speeding up admin tasks.
Confidence and ROI depend on training
More than three quarters of people with 20+ hours of AI training feel comfortable proving the return on investment of AI tools. That drops to just over half among those with only average levels of training.
Higher earners, who tend to receive more structured guidance, are also more likely to say their skills are developing because of AI and that their job satisfaction has improved.
Why equitable AI training matters
The report highlights clear gaps. High-income workers, men, and senior roles receive more AI training, more external courses, and more formal accreditation than lower-paid colleagues, women, and junior staff.
Without deliberate, inclusive programmes, AI risks becoming another amplifier of existing inequalities, with some people accelerating ahead while others feel left behind or threatened.
What quality AI training should look like
For organisations working with partners such as Pollinger AI, the data points to a clear brief.
Effective AI training should:
Be structured and substantial, moving beyond one-off introductions towards multi-session programmes that build capability over time, aiming for 5 to 20+ hours rather than a 30-minute overview.
Cover both tools and culture, teaching practical workflows, prompting techniques, and risk awareness, while also creating psychological safety so people can ask questions and experiment without fear.
Reach every level of the organisation, with tailored pathways for executives, managers, and frontline teams so benefits are shared, not concentrated among the already confident.
Include measurement and ROI, helping teams track time saved, quality improvements, and new opportunities so AI is tied directly to performance rather than sitting in the “interesting experiment” category.
When organisations invest in thoughtful, inclusive AI training, the payoff is a more capable and confident workforce, safer and more creative use of AI, and measurable business returns rather than isolated success stories.
Ready to put this into practice
If you want AI to deliver measurable value rather than sit on the sidelines, Pollinger AI offers tailored training courses and practical public workshops designed around real business needs.
You can book bespoke in‑house training for your organisation, aligned to your tools, workflows, and objectives, or join one of our public workshops to build practical AI skills alongside peers from other organisations.
To discuss tailored training or upcoming public sessions, get in touch with Pollinger AI and start building confident, capable AI use across your organisation.
