48% of Goods Producers Turn to AI to Lift Output

Artificial intelligence is changing jobs faster than companies can reorganize them, and a new set of data shows that the impact is far more uneven and complex than early predictions suggested.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report “The Chief AI Officer: Managing Machines and Minds” examines how 60 companies across goods, services and technology sectors are adapting to AI’s influence on work.

Its findings show a labor market in transition as firms use automation to increase efficiency while also creating new roles and contending with rising skill demands.

The report concludes that artificial intelligence is not removing workers as much as it is redistributing tasks and exposing gaps in management readiness. Companies are adjusting in real time.

Forty eight percent of goods producers say they are using AI primarily to increase output and efficiency. By contrast, 30% of service companies use the technology mainly to improve decisions and customer experiences. Tech firms are split, with 42% adopting AI to stay competitive in fast moving markets.

About half of companies expect to create new roles that require advanced skills, while roughly one third foresee notable reductions in headcount. Goods and services firms report nearly equal expectations for adding and subtracting roles. Tech firms plan more targeted hiring designed to deepen AI capability.

Three-quarters of technology companies say they feel at least somewhat prepared for AI-driven change. Only 63% of goods producers share that view, and just 48% of service companies report similar confidence. Forty percent of all firms remain neutral or uncertain about their readiness.

Other findings in the report point to structural issues that may shape the next phase of AI adoption. Companies cite operational complexity and widening skill gaps as major obstacles. Half of all firms list complexity as a top challenge. Service providers report the highest exposure to skill shortages at 71%. Goods producers follow at 59%. Employee resistance is also pronounced. Half of tech and service firms say pushback is slowing implementation of artificial intelligence. Cultural alignment matters.

The report also shows that companies view AI’s effects on jobs as mixed rather than uniformly positive or negative. Sixty-five percent say its impact cuts both ways. Most goods producers fall into this category, and only a small share of firms in any sector see artificial intelligence as an unequivocal boost to employment. The data suggests that organizations are still early in managing the interplay between automation and human work. Adjustment takes time.

Across industries, companies are adopting AI for different reasons, yet all share a common goal. They want to stay competitive without losing talent. That balance will determine the next phase of workforce transformation. The report finds that success will depend on how well companies connect strategy, skills and culture. The chief AI officer’s mandate is to make that alignment work.