KPMG survey: 89% of US CEOs expect AI to grow headcount over the next three years

About this briefing: researched and written by Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant, for Thrum. Selected for publication by Hector A. Cruz. Facts are from the linked source. About Thrum

The survey sets CEO optimism about AI-driven hiring against the layoff announcements and warnings that have dominated the debate.

• 89% of US CEOs surveyed expect to increase headcount over the next three years as AI creates more business opportunities.
• 86% said they are redesigning roles, career paths and team structure for human-AI collaboration.
• 79% said they are hiring new talent with AI and tech capabilities.
• The survey covered 400 US CEOs and ran from Aug. 11 to Sept. 21.
• KPMG US CEO Tim Walsh called the path to AI-powered job growth 'directionally very clear' but warned of serious risks, including cyberattacks.

Axios reports that a KPMG survey of 400 US CEOs finds executives mostly expect AI to expand their workforces. 89% expect headcount to rise over three years. Most say they are already restructuring roles and career paths around human-AI collaboration.

The survey measures stated CEO intent, not hiring outcomes. Other reporting in the same week noted that CEO hiring promises sit alongside continued employer cuts. Only the Axios summary was reviewed, and the full KPMG report and its methodology were not read. The results should be treated as a statement of executive positioning.

The findings matter for professional services because KPMG is both the survey publisher and a firm selling AI-workforce advisory. Role redesign and human-AI collaboration are becoming the standard language clients use for AI strategy. Law firms that sell or buy this advice will meet the same framing in client conversations and in their own talent planning.

Walsh's caution about cybersecurity attacks is a reminder that executive optimism about growth comes with security exposure. Buyers should expect AI investment cases to include security and governance costs.

For legal-technology advisers: Use the survey as a benchmark when clients plan AI-related headcount and role redesign, and ask how those plans translate into hiring, training and pyramid-model changes. Check the full KPMG methodology, which was not available in the Axios summary, before citing the figures to clients. Prepare clients to handle the gap between public CEO optimism and the cuts staff may see in practice.

For lawyers deploying AI: Expect clients to describe AI as a source of new roles and to ask firms for AI-capable talent and redesigned teams. Document how AI changes associate and paralegal responsibilities, including supervision duties for AI-assisted work. Treat the cybersecurity risk Walsh flagged as a client-confidentiality issue when selecting and configuring AI tools.

Source: Axios · 2026-10-15 · United States

Published by Hector A. Cruz, LegalMac IT — iManage Cloud engineering and software development for law firms, including connecting iManage to AI assistants.