Every enterprise we work with is asking the same two questions: where is the AI talent, and how do we become the company it chooses? Most answers on the market are recycled survey headlines. We decided to publish what we can actually observe.

Humenta sits on an unusual vantage point: a 200,000+ member professional community across 179 countries, the Women in Tech & AI Global Conference with 100,000+ attendees, invitation-only executive forums in New York, Lisbon, and Barcelona, and an AI-builders network with city chapters. This is Volume 1 of an ongoing series: the signals we can verify from our own first-party data.

Signal 1 — Executive engagement with AI leadership is surging

Since 2023 we have hosted 377 unique senior leaders across seven editions of our executive forums and dinners, from Lisbon (Web Summit) to New York to Barcelona (MWC). Nearly a third of them, 114 leaders, hold C-level, founder, or partner titles.

The growth curve is the story. Our Barcelona forum at MWC drew 42 executives in 2025 and 164 in 2026, nearly four times as many in one year, making it our largest executive gathering to date. When CxOs reorganize their MWC calendar around a talent-and-AI-leadership forum, that is a demand signal money can't fake.

42 → 164Executives at our MWC Barcelona forum, 2025 → 2026. Nearly 4× growth in one year.

Signal 2 — Who shows up: enterprises and AI-natives in the same room

The leaders in these rooms come from EY, Google, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, SAP, Morgan Stanley, Qualcomm, Ericsson, Novo Nordisk, and dozens more, alongside AI-native and platform companies like Databricks, Reddit, and Lyft. The pattern we observe: traditional enterprises and AI-first companies are now competing for the same leadership talent, and both sides know it. The days when "AI talent" meant only researchers are over; the scarce profile of 2026 is the executive who can lead AI-powered organizations.

Signal 3 — Communities are pivoting to AI faster than talent programs

Inside our own ecosystem, the shift is explicit: the flagship conference is now the Women in Tech & AI Global Conference; our session library's fastest-growing tracks are AI leadership topics; and demand pushed us to launch a dedicated AI-builders network with volunteer-led city chapters. Members are not waiting for their employers: they are re-skilling toward AI inside their communities first.

Signal 4 — The talent-event economy hasn't caught up

We analyzed a dataset of 4,000+ tech-talent and recruiting events run by 14 major organizers over recent years. General "women in tech" and full-stack hiring formats dominate the landscape; events explicitly focused on AI talent made up under 2% of the sample. Employer demand for AI capability is sprinting ahead of the programming designed to attract and develop it. For employers, that gap is the opportunity: the brands that show up in AI-specific talent spaces now are choosing from an uncontested pool.

What this means for employers

  • Meet AI talent where it already gathers, in communities and leadership forums, not just on job boards.
  • Lead with executive credibility. AI talent evaluates who they would learn from; visible, articulate technical leadership is your best recruiting asset.
  • Move before the programming catches up. Under-2% supply of AI-specific talent programming will not last; early presence compounds.

Methodology & what's next

Findings in this volume are drawn from Humenta first-party data: registration and attendance records across seven executive forum editions (2023–2026), community and conference aggregates from the WomenTech Network ecosystem, and a scan of 4,064 third-party talent events across 14 organizers. Aggregate figures only; no individual or client-confidential data is disclosed.

Volume 2 will go deeper: we are surveying our 200,000-member community on AI skills, career moves, and what actually attracts AI talent to an employer. Want the findings first, or want your questions represented? Join the newsletter or talk to us.

Frequently asked questions

What is the State of AI Talent report?
An ongoing research series from Humenta built on first-party data: a 200,000+ member global tech community, 100K+ attendee conferences, and executive forums hosting 377 senior leaders since 2023. Volume 1 covers the leadership demand signal; Volume 2 will add a community-wide survey.
Where does the data come from?
From Humenta’s own ecosystem: attendance records across seven executive forum editions in New York, Lisbon, and Barcelona (2023–2026), aggregates from the WomenTech Network community and the Women in Tech & AI Global Conference, and an analysis of 4,064 third-party talent events across 14 organizers. Only aggregate figures are published.
How can my company participate in the next volume?
Volume 2 is built on a survey of the 200K-member community. Employers can sponsor questions, receive early findings, or co-host the launch webinar — book a growth audit or email hello@humenta.com to get involved.