Measurable gains and predictions for 2026

According to PwC’s 2026 AI business predictions, tech innovation continues to be a driver of business strategy, operations, workforce design and even sustainability. As the report notes, “success is becoming visible,” with companies embedding AI deeply across workflows, governance and culture.

Researchers say HR leaders in small and medium-sized businesses can take advantage of emerging innovations much like large enterprises do. In many ways, smaller companies may be better positioned to act.

Upwork research shows that confidence among SMB leaders rose and fell more sharply than it did for leaders of larger organizations, dropping from 59% in the first quarter to 47% in the second, then climbing back to 58% in the third. Their willingness to experiment with talent and technology followed a similar trend, signaling a readiness to adjust quickly when conditions shift.

However, to adjust in 2026, they may need a practical framework. PwC emphasizes that many organizations fail when they treat AI as a collection of scattered grassroots projects. “Crowdsourcing AI efforts can create impressive adoption numbers, but it seldom produces meaningful business outcomes,” the report states.

Find high-impact pain points

Senior leadership must identify high-impact workflows where data, talent and business priorities align, and then invest in those areas with discipline and intention. Even in smaller organizations, selecting one or two HR processes, such as recruiting, onboarding or performance tracking, can deliver clear results, according to the report. Treating AI adoption as a strategic initiative with ownership and clear expectations is essential.

Real value comes when organizations redesign workflows rather than simply automate existing tasks. PwC argues that companies should go narrow and deep, rethinking how a process could function if built around AI from the ground up.

HR leaders can map hiring, onboarding and performance management processes end-to-end. They can identify repetitive or data-heavy tasks, such as screening resumes or scheduling interviews, and redesign these processes around AI.

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What is an AI generalist?

The report also predicts the rise of a new member of the workforce, the AI generalist, who can oversee, guide and collaborate with AI agents. “Across functions, demand may grow for generalists who understand a wide range of tasks well enough to oversee agents and align their work with business goals,” PwC authors write.

For HR, this means rethinking roles to emphasize versatility, adaptability and AI fluency rather than narrow specialization. Existing staff can be trained to work alongside AI, focusing on oversight, human judgment and culture-building while AI handles routine tasks.

AI governance at SMBs

Governance remains critical to success. PwC notes that 2026 will be the year when responsible AI moves from talk to traction. “Agents are rolled out as part of all-new workflows, with clearly-articulated steps for human initiative, review and oversight,” the report states.

HR leaders should define metrics to measure AI success, oversee AI-driven processes directly and maintain transparency in hiring, promotions and performance evaluations. This builds trust among employees and ensures AI is a collaborative tool rather than a black box.

Make an AI studio

Finally, PwC recommends organizing AI capabilities via a centralized hub or “AI studio” that brings together talent, tools and governance. Smaller organizations can apply the same principle at a smaller scale, creating a mini-studio with a small team responsible for AI adoption, oversight and scaling.

For many SMBs, AI delivered real and measurable gains in 2025, not just a future promise. In supplementary research cited by Upwork, SMBs that used AI to scale reported strong results. Ninety-three percent saw revenue grow, 82% reduced costs and 91% reported a year-over-year return on their AI investments.

By piloting AI in one or two workflows and iterating based on results, HR leaders can build a disciplined and structured approach even with limited resources.