Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept in American workplaces—but it is far from evenly adopted. A new Gallup Workforce survey paints a nuanced picture of how AI is being used across the US economy, revealing sharp divides by job type, industry, seniority, and awareness.
The findings show that while AI use is increasing, it remains fragmented and concentrated among office-based, knowledge-driven roles. For many workers, AI is still occasional rather than embedded, and a significant portion of employees remain unsure whether their organisation has adopted AI at all.
Based on responses from more than 23,000 full- and part-time US workers, the survey offers one of the most detailed snapshots yet of AI’s real-world presence in the workplace as of late 2025.
AI Adoption Is Growing—but Not Universal
Gallup’s data confirms that AI adoption is moving forward, but at an uneven pace. While headlines often suggest widespread transformation, the reality on the ground is more incremental.
By the third quarter of 2025, just over one-third of employees reported that their organisation had implemented AI in some form. Meanwhile, 40% said their employer had not adopted AI, and nearly one-quarter said they did not know whether AI was being used at all.
This uncertainty highlights a key disconnect between leadership decisions and employee awareness. AI may be present in backend systems or limited pilot programmes, but many workers remain uninformed about whether or how these tools affect their jobs.
The Rise of “Office AI”
AI adoption is strongest in industries built around digital workflows and information processing.
Employees working in:
- Technology
- Finance
- Professional services
report the highest levels of AI usage. In the technology sector, more than 75% of workers say they use AI at least a few times a year. In finance and professional services, usage levels approach 60%.
These roles typically involve:
- Writing and editing
- Research and information synthesis
- Data analysis
- Digital collaboration
Tasks that align closely with the current strengths of generative AI tools.
Gallup’s findings suggest that AI is functioning primarily as a productivity enhancer for desk-based workers rather than a universal workplace tool.
Lower Adoption in Frontline and Manual Roles
In contrast, AI usage drops significantly in sectors dominated by customer-facing or hands-on work.
Only about one-third of retail workers report using AI at similar frequencies to office-based employees. Adoption is somewhat higher in healthcare and manufacturing, but still lags behind white-collar sectors.
The reasons are both practical and structural. Many AI tools are designed for text, data, and digital workflows, making them less immediately applicable to physical or service-oriented roles.
Additionally, tightly regulated environments—such as healthcare—often face stricter constraints around data usage and automation, which can slow adoption even when potential benefits exist.
A Surprising Awareness Gap
One of the most striking findings in the Gallup survey is how many workers are unsure whether their employer uses AI at all.
Nearly 25% of respondents said they did not know if their organisation had adopted AI. This uncertainty is most common among:
- Non-managerial employees
- Part-time workers
- Frontline and operational roles
The further employees are from strategic decision-making, the less visibility they have into AI initiatives.
Gallup notes that earlier versions of its survey did not include a “don’t know” option when asking about employer AI adoption. As a result, previous data may have overstated adoption levels by forcing respondents to guess.
Once uncertainty was explicitly allowed, it became clear that a substantial portion of the workforce simply lacks information about AI use within their organisations.
How Employees Actually Use AI
Among workers who do use AI at least once a year, usage patterns are remarkably consistent.
The most common applications include:
- Summarising or consolidating information
- Searching for information
- Generating ideas or brainstorming
These use cases have changed little since Gallup first began tracking workplace AI usage in 2024, suggesting that AI’s role has stabilised around a core set of cognitive tasks.
More than 60% of AI users report using chatbots, making conversational AI the dominant entry point for adoption.
Writing and editing tools follow, while more specialised applications—such as coding assistants and data science platforms—remain niche but highly valued by frequent users.
Power Users Drive Advanced Adoption
The survey highlights a clear divide between casual and frequent AI users.
Employees who use AI regularly are far more likely to:
- Experiment with advanced tools
- Use coding assistants
- Apply AI to data analysis tasks
This pattern suggests that familiarity breeds deeper integration. Once employees see tangible benefits from basic AI tools, they are more inclined to explore more powerful capabilities.
However, Gallup also finds that these power users represent a relatively small portion of the workforce.
AI Is Still Not a Daily Tool for Most Workers
Despite growing awareness and experimentation, AI has not yet become a daily part of work for most Americans.
While around 45% of workers say they use AI a few times a year, only about 10% report daily usage.
This gap underscores the difference between availability and integration. In many organisations, AI exists as an optional tool rather than a core component of everyday workflows.
For widespread transformation to occur, AI must move beyond occasional assistance and become embedded into routine processes.
Why Communication Matters More Than Technology
One of Gallup’s key conclusions is that many organisations could significantly improve AI adoption through better communication alone.
Simply clarifying:
- Whether AI is being used
- Where it is being applied
- Which tools are approved
- How employees can access them
could lead to immediate gains in adoption and confidence.
At present, the lack of clarity leaves many workers unsure whether they are allowed—or expected—to use AI tools at all.
The Opportunity for Business Leaders
The survey points to a clear opportunity for leadership.
AI’s current strengths align closely with desk-based, data-heavy roles, but its potential extends far beyond the office. From scheduling and logistics to maintenance and customer support, emerging AI platforms are increasingly designed for frontline and operational environments.
Organisations willing to explore these use cases early may gain a competitive edge.
Gallup suggests that companies that actively evaluate how AI fits into a broader range of roles could outperform competitors that limit adoption to traditional knowledge work.
AI Adoption and the Future of Work
The findings also raise broader questions about how AI will reshape work over time.
As tools become more accessible and integrated, the line between AI-assisted and non-AI-assisted roles may blur. But for now, adoption remains uneven, shaped by job design, industry norms, and organisational culture.
Gallup’s data suggests that the next phase of AI adoption will depend less on technical capability and more on:
- Leadership strategy
- Employee education
- Clear governance
- Thoughtful rollout
From Experimentation to Intention
AI is clearly moving into the mainstream of American work life—but not yet at the pace or scale often assumed.
The Gallup Workforce survey shows that while experimentation is widespread, intentional, organisation-wide adoption is still emerging. For many workers, AI remains a peripheral tool rather than a defining feature of their job.
Bridging that gap will require more than new software. It will demand clearer communication, better alignment between leadership and staff, and a willingness to rethink how work is structured.
A Snapshot, Not the Final Word
Gallup emphasises that its findings represent a moment in time rather than a finished transformation.
AI adoption is evolving rapidly, and usage patterns may change as tools become more embedded, regulated, and specialised.
For now, the data offers a grounded counterpoint to hype—showing where AI is truly making an impact in US workplaces, where it is not, and where the next opportunities lie.
A full breakdown of the survey’s findings is available on Gallup’s official website.