Tools alone not enough, companies need AI-ready workforce: Google

Companies hoping to succeed in the age of artificial intelligence must focus less on buying new tools and more on preparing their employees, according to a new report by Google.

The report highlights that the biggest business shift of 2026 will not simply be about efficiency, but a deeper, employee-led transformation powered by AI. It stresses that organisations must move beyond technology purchases and invest in building an AI-ready workforce.

Google's five pillars for an AI-ready organisation

The report details a comprehensive approach for AI learning that is based on five core pillars. The main focus of the approach are AI agents, which refer to systems that integrate innovative AI models together with tools that enable the system to act on the behalf of the user but under human control.

The first process involves goal setting. The goal could be, for instance, 100% adoption of AI, where all employees have an AI agent they use to enhance speed, recall, or decisions.

It is also important to assemble the right team. Google proposes having the following core team to sustain the efforts of AI and the associated communications: the executive sponsor, the groundswell leader, and the AI accelerator.

To engage the workers, the report recommends incorporating digital hubs, innovation exchange sessions through gameification, and peer learning. The hackathons within the company, where the pitching of AI solutions takes place, are also useful to incorporate AI into daily practices.

On the other hand, Google has also pointed out potential threats that are emerging as a result of AI. Due to sophistication in AI-related cyber threats, workers are also being trained to detect potential threats related to “social engineering attacks”