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Most US workers don’t use AI at work yet. This study suggests a reason why

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Since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have become increasingly entrenched in our daily lives. However, a new study suggests that the American workforce seems largely uninterested in adopting AI en masse. 

According to a Pew Research study released this week, around 80% of Americans don’t generally use AI at work, while those who do use AI seem unenthusiastic about its benefits. Moreover, fewer than one-third of those surveyed said they’re “excited” about using AI in future workplaces. Only 6% of workers say workplace AI use will lead to more job opportunities in the long run.

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For this study, Pew surveyed 5,273 US adults — ranging from 18 to 65+ — who are employed either part-time or full-time and have one or more jobs but consider one of those to be their primary job. The participants were asked questions that explored “how workers see the use of AI in the workplace overall, as well as their own experience with AI in their jobs.”

The study explored how class, age, and education informed participants’ answers to questions concerning AI use and job opportunities. For example, when asked whether workers are more worried than hopeful about the future of AI use in the workplace, the respondents expressed that they are far more “worried” at 52% of respondents than “hopeful” or “excited” at 36% and 29%, respectively, according to Pew. 

Knowledge workers in information and technology, banking, finance, accounting, real estate, and insurance are “among the most likely to say that the use of AI will lead to more job opportunities for them in the long run.” 

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Pew Research Center

Workers with lower and middle incomes are more likely than those with higher incomes to be pessimistic about AI use in the workplace and convey sentiments that AI will lead to fewer job opportunities for them. In contrast, upper-income workers are more likely to say workplace AI use won’t make much difference in their job opportunities. 

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Pew Research Center

While 51% of AI users surveyed have at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to 39% of non-AI users within the non-AI users camp, “31% say at least some of their work can be done with AI.” Younger workers are also more likely to say they “feel overwhelmed” about how AI will be adopted in the workplace in the future. 

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Workers between 18 and 29 are most likely to use AI chatbots at work “at least a few times a month” to research, summarize, and edit content. However, few said these technologies “were very or extremely helpful” regarding increased productivity and higher-quality work. 

Most workers (69%) do not use AI chatbots in their workplace. Among non-AI chatbot users, 36% said they have never used AI chatbots for work purposes because “there isn’t any use for them in their job.” Another 22% just said they’re not interested in using AI chatbots. 

According to the Pew researchers, most workers – across all age and education groups – say that any workplace training they received was unrelated to AI use. Only a quarter (24%) said they received training pertaining to AI use. 

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The lack of effective and adequate AI training feeds into AI pessimism in the workplace, and this has much to do with company leaders’ lack of a clear vision regarding how AI can increase workplace productivity. “Employees are legitimately scared that the organization may justify laying them off by saying AI can do this job,” notes Hatim Rahman, an associate professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. 

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