Paul Cheek: 30% of S&P 500 execs AI-literate, 78% gap

The org chart most companies use today maps reporting lines — who answers to whom. Cheek's proposal replaces that with a map of access and authority: which employees and AI agents can reach which systems, who can spend from which budgets, and who gets consulted on which projects. He describes it as a dynamic, living document that changes as AI agents are added, retired, or build their own agents, tracking everything from social media accounts to Salesforce.

The study from Cheek's independent research organization, the AI-Driven Enterprise Institute, gives the pitch its numbers: just over 30% of executives at S&P 500 companies are AI-literate, and that group is achieving 78% stronger AI execution than their peers. Cheek's first step for CHROs is investing in AI training and upskilling; the second is rethinking the org chart. He argues the CHRO who takes this on will emerge as the most influential strategic leader in the organization.

What remains unproven is the org chart itself. Cheek acknowledges he has not found a company that has implemented this kind of technologically-advanced org chart — he built his own prototype using AI instead. So the near-term test is likely whether CHROs act on the literacy gap before adopting a new structural model, and whether training alone moves execution numbers. That makes the next phase one to watch for HR leaders weighing where to put budget and authority.