New 2U Research Finds 83% of Employers Prioritize AI Skills, but Only 29% Have Mature AI Capabilities

The State of Enterprise Learning 2026 reveals what separates employers turning AI upskilling priorities into workforce capability

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly four in five employers (78%) lack a strong mandate to lead AI upskilling, according to The State of Enterprise Learning 2026, a new research report released today by 2U, a global leader in higher education. The study was conducted by research firm NewtonX in partnership with edX Enterprise, 2U's enterprise learning business.

Over 500 verified learning and workforce strategy leaders were surveyed for the report—including chief human resource officers, chief learning officers, and L&D leaders—at companies with 500 or more employees across key industries worldwide. The research findings reveal a gap between employers' AI ambitions and their ability to act: AI capabilities are an active workforce priority for 83% of respondents, but only 29% say their companies have built mature AI capabilities.

A strong mandate combines executive support, clarity on which capabilities to develop, and the budget and capacity to do the work. Just 26% of respondents are highly confident their learning and development (L&D) function can deliver the capabilities their workforce needs.

"Universities and employers are asking the same question: which capabilities will matter next, and what will it take to build them?" said Andy Morgan, Chief Partnerships Officer at 2U. "Learner searches show us where interest is moving. This research shows us what stands between an employer's AI ambitions and the ability to deliver on them. Bringing those perspectives together helps our partners make better-informed decisions about the learning they offer and the people they serve."

The research identifies a small group of "AI transformation leaders": the 15% of companies that combine mature AI capability with high confidence in their ability to deliver the capabilities their workforce needs. Compared with other companies, these leaders:

• Have stronger mandates. They are 3.9 times as likely to have a strong mandate for AI upskilling.
• Measure more deeply. They track 1.6 times as many measures of learning success, including outcomes beyond course participation.
• Connect AI capability building with leadership development. They integrate the two efforts at 2.7 times the rate of other companies. Across the full sample, 85% do not develop AI and leadership capabilities as one connected effort.

NewtonX also analyzed how four factors were associated with AI transformation leader status. Mandate strength accounted for 59% of the factors' combined influence, followed by measurement depth at 34%. Formal ownership of AI upskilling accounted for just 1%. The analysis suggests that deciding which team owns the work matters far less than giving that team the direction and support to deliver it.

"The most striking finding is how little formal ownership of AI upskilling actually mattered," said Chris Kelly, Strategic Insights & Analytics Director at NewtonX, one of the study's authors. "Companies burn a lot of energy debating whether AI upskilling belongs to HR, L&D, or IT, but that decision alone builds nothing. What separates the organizations pulling ahead is not who owns AI upskilling, but whether leadership treats it as a priority: a clear mandate, the capacity to act on it, and measures that show whether learning is actually moving workforce readiness. That is what turns AI learning from a course catalog into a capability the business can count on."

The report builds on 2U's work to understand how learning needs are changing from both sides of the market. A recent analysis of learner search activity on edX found growing interest in practical AI applications alongside business, technical, and human-centered skills. The State of Enterprise Learning 2026 adds insight into how employers are responding—and the organizational decisions that can help them turn workforce priorities into action.

Through edX Enterprise, 2U connects companies, universities, and governments with learning from leading universities and institutions to develop workforce capabilities. Research like The State of Enterprise Learning 2026 helps inform that work by examining both the capabilities employers prioritize and the conditions needed to develop them.

The State of Enterprise Learning 2026 is available at https://business.edx.org/newtonx/.

About the research
NewtonX conducted an online survey of 507 verified L&D and workforce strategy leaders responsible for or overseeing learning and development at organizations with 500 or more employees. The survey was fielded from June to July 2026 across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia-Pacific. NewtonX also conducted 10 in-depth interviews with verified L&D experts.

About 2U
2U partners with the world's top universities and companies to build education programs that accelerate careers and transform lives. Through more than 250 institutional and enterprise partnerships, 2U develops and delivers over 5,300 online programs, reaching more than 100 million people worldwide through edX, 2U's global learning platform. From executive education and professional credentialing to master's degree programs and free, open courses, 2U aligns education with workforce needs, enabling professionals to advance without pausing their careers. Learn more at 2U.com.

About NewtonX
NewtonX is the only B2B research intelligence platform that delivers AI-speed insights with data you can trace. We help businesses make faster, more defensible decisions, built on verified data across 140+ industries, AI-native automation, and end-to-end research expertise. Trusted by Google, TikTok, Salesforce, Stripe, Microsoft, and Coinbase. Research cited by Gartner, Fortune, Forbes, Adweek, and The Wall Street Journal. Visit newtonx.com.

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SOURCE 2U