Survey of 1,340 HR leaders shows widespread AI use, prioritizing solutions that value employee trust

Transcarent, the One Place for Health and Care, today released their latest research commissioned from SurveyMonkey, AI That Delivers: HR Leaders on Health, Trust, and Better Benefits. The study explores how Human Resources (HR) leaders are approaching artificial intelligence (AI), what excites them about its potential, and where they face the biggest challenges as they work to meet their employees’ health and benefits needs. It signals a growing opportunity for HR professionals to take the lead by implementing customized AI tools designed to address key pain points in the employee experience.

The survey of 1,340 HR and benefits decision-makers at large, self-funded U.S. employers reveals a willingness to embrace AI:

• 98% of HR leaders are familiar with AI.
• 90%+ already have a positive outlook on its use.
• 77% are currently using productivity tools like ChatGPT.

“As a Chief People Officer, I not only want to bring great benefits to our employees and their families, but I also want them to use them. With AI, we can help more people use their benefits to their fullest and be healthier,” said Jennifer Trzepacz, Chief People Officer at Transcarent. “The survey shows that HR leaders know an effective implementation of AI for health and wellness requires partners that bring practical strategies to navigate risk, prioritize privacy and security, and maintain the trust of their employees.”

Closing the Gap Between Enthusiasm and Execution

The survey found HR teams are balancing strong optimism about the potential of AI and real-world challenges implementing it. Among the top barriers cited:

• 57% report limited internal expertise.
• 60% worry about data privacy and security.
• 40% cite budget/resource constraints.

Despite these challenges, HR leaders remain determined to use AI to drive measurable impact for their organizations. More than 46% of organizations using AI in benefits administration report real improvements, including higher wellness engagement and reduced employee leave.

Strategies to Turn AI Potential into Impact

The report outlines strategies to help HR leaders harness AI effectively in health, wellness, and benefits:

1. Empower Employees with AI and Human Support. Pair fast, precise, 24/7 AI with empathetic clinicians so employees get instant answers and trusted human guidance from clinical teams when it matters.
2. Personalize Engagement to Increase Benefits Use. Use AI to personalize outreach at the moment of relevance, encouraging preventive care and benefits use that improve outcomes and reduce costs.
3. Help Employees Take the Next Step in Their Care. Turn data into action with clinically-informed “next best step” recommendations that boost engagement, informed choices, and measurable results.

Why It Matters for Healthcare Benefits

HR leaders spend an outsized share of their time answering repetitive benefits questions, coordinating vendors, and managing compliance. According to the survey:

• 91% report frequent employee questions about benefits.
• 89% cite challenges coordinating multiple vendors.
• 85% spend significant time on documentation and compliance.

Purpose-built health and benefits AI solutions should alleviate administrative burdens and ease compliance challenges. The report recommends HR leaders prioritize partners who invest in robust privacy controls, bias prevention, and security to garner trust among users. The report suggests solution partners with mature AI governance processes can minimize internal complexity for resource-constrained HR teams. Partners who already operate within mature governance structures are essential, especially when it comes to managing AI risks like data security, inappropriate outputs, and bias.

Transcarent’s doctor-informed AI-powered WayFinding solution is HIPAA-compliant and managed in a HITRUST-certified environment. WayFinding is customized to an employer’s specific benefit program design and personalizes accurate information for each individual employee and their family members. By instantly answering employees’ benefits questions and helping them to take the next step for their health, WayFinding reduces HR’s administrative burdens while improving engagement and outcomes.

Transcarent conducted the online survey in partnership with SurveyMonkey. Responses were collected from 1,340 U.S.-based HR and benefits decision-makers at self-funded organizations with 2,000 or more employees, spanning industries such as technology, professional services, manufacturing, energy, retail, and hospitality.

About Transcarent

Transcarent and Accolade are the One Place for Health and Care, bringing medical, pharmacy, and point solutions together in the first and only generative AI-powered personalized health and care platform that creates an experience people love to use. Our next-generation WayFinding navigation platform, paired with transparent and consumer-driven pharmacy care, 2nd.MD expert medical opinions, and virtual primary care, combined with comprehensive Care Experiences – Cancer Care, Surgery Care, and Weight Health – support people with all of their health needs, simple or serious. We also provide seamless access to all of the leading point solutions. More than 1,700 employers and health plans rely on us to provide information, guidance, and care, empowering health consumers with more choice, a better experience, access to higher-quality care, and lower costs for more than 20 million people. For more information, visit www.transcarent.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250917230810/en/

New survey of 1,340 HR leaders: • 90%+ positive on AI • 77% already using productivity tools • Top barriers: privacy/security, expertise, budget