The assumption that some teams are ahead
When organizations plan GenAI enablement, they typically start with the functions they believe are most advanced — marketing, data teams, or whoever adopted tools first. The implicit assumption is that capability varies meaningfully by department, so training should be sequenced accordingly.
That assumption is worth testing.
What the data shows
Across 153 respondents spanning six functional groups, GenAI capability scores fall within a narrow 12-point band. No role is meaningfully ahead of any other.
The differences are not statistically significant (ANOVA F=0.85, p=0.516). Marketing scores highest at 81, Customer Success lowest at 69, but the spread is modest and no single function demonstrates reliably stronger GenAI judgment than the rest.
Why it matters
If capability is broadly consistent across roles, then sequencing enablement by department — starting with "advanced" functions and working down — is solving the wrong problem. It delays baseline skills for the groups that need them just as much, and it creates a false sense that some teams are already covered.
The real risk is not that one function lags behind. It is that every function shares the same foundational gaps — particularly in verification and data handling — and none of them know it. A short scenario-based diagnostic like the GenAI Capability Pulse can surface these shared gaps before they scale.
What to do about it
- Start with a shared baseline: Deliver enterprise-wide fundamentals on safe use, verification, and prompting before investing in role-specific modules.
- Set an objective proficiency standard: Use scenario-based assessment to define "ready," not self-reported confidence or tool adoption metrics.
- Customize by role later: Once the baseline is established, layer on role-specific labs for the highest-exposure functions first.
The first move is not to find the team that is furthest behind. It is to build a shared floor that every function can stand on.
These findings are drawn from the GenAI Capability Pulse — a scenario-based assessment that measures what non-technical teams actually do with GenAI, not what they think they can do. If your organization is scaling GenAI adoption, start with a baseline.
Source: AGASI GenAI Capability Pulse (N=153). ANOVA F=0.85, p=0.516. "Other" includes Operations (n=8), Sales (n=7), Product/Design (n=6), Legal (n=3), Data/Analytics (n=3), Engineering/IT (n=2).