78% of HR and talent leaders warn AI poses a threat to leadership pipelines

New Talogy guide addresses the rising need for 'intentional development'

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With AI visibly impacting the early careers market,¹ Global talent management solutions provider Talogy has identified a rapidly developing threat to the future workforce: a leadership pipeline that is shrinking.

Talogy surveyed 207 senior HR leaders, talent acquisition managers, and learning and development experts, finding that 78% are concerned about the long-term loss of critical leadership skills. With AI taking on tasks and responsibilities traditionally associated with entry-level roles, there is a growing risk that skills may not develop as naturally as they once did.

As organizations rethink development in response, Talogy has produced a new guide, 'AI and the leadership pipeline: the rising need for intentional development.' Authored by Ali Shalfrooshan, Talogy's Director of Science Strategy, the guide urges organizations to take a more purposeful approach to replacing natural on-the-job learning opportunities in order to avoid any future leadership skills gaps later in the career journey.

Cultivating the 'RISE' capabilities

Drawing on research involving more than 6,000 employees², managers, and talent professionals worldwide, Talogy's new guide outlines a set of essential human capabilities required to build healthy, sustainable leadership pipelines in an AI-enabled workplace, referred to as RISE:

Responsiveness: developing the openness and agility to learn, engage with emerging technologies and adapt as work evolves.

Insight: harnessing human ability to think critically, make sense of information and generate new ideas and possibilities.

Sustainability: capturing the capacity to adapt to change, remain resilient through challenge and sustain performance over time.

Effectiveness: reflecting the ability to communicate and collaborate to turn ideas and effort into meaningful outcomes.

These four capabilities bring together essential human skills that will form the foundation for healthy, sustainable leadership pipelines in a world where technology is increasingly powerful, but human skills remain essential.

Grounding intentional development in science and emotional intelligence

The guide emphasizes that skills and training alone are insufficient. To protect the long-term pipeline, organizations must anchor talent development in deeper psychological foundations, including values and emotional intelligence.

Furthermore, HR leaders require objective, science-backed psychometric and behavioral assessments to identify leadership potential early, map hidden talent and guide intentional development strategies.

"As organizations rethink employee development, teaching employees how to work alongside AI tools simply isn't enough," said Ali Shalfrooshan, Director of Science Strategy. "We must be far more intentional about cultivating core human capabilities, such as critical thinking, adaptability and collaboration if we are to enable people to take on complex responsibilities over time. Leadership development needs to begin at the early career stage and evolve dynamically throughout the entire career journey."

The full guide, AI and the Leadership Pipeline: The rising need for intentional development, is available to download from Talogy's website.

Image: Ali Shalfrooshan

About Talogy:

Talogy is proud to be one of the world's leading talent management solution providers. Crafting personalized solutions to help select, develop, and transform talent and organizations worldwide.

Partnering with organizations to truly understand their challenges inside out to help them make the best data-driven people decisions.

Combining 75+ years of expertise, an extensive content library, and innovative technology, Talogy helps clients find, build, and grow the best talent.

¹ https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/1/services/ai/ai-jobs-barometer.html
² Hiring future-ready early talent, Talogy 2024 https://info.talogy.com/en-us/hiring-future-ready-early-talent-summary
Leading the way in the future world of work, Talogy 2021 https://info.talogy.com/en-us/leading-in-future-world-of-work
High Potential, High Impact: Insights to Build Better Programs, Talogy 2025 https://info.talogy.com/en-us/hipo-executive-summary