AI at work: What’s holding us back?

Did you know that just 1 in 10 employees are using AI at work weekly. 7 in 10? They’ve never touched it.

What's going on?

AI has been the buzzword since 2022. Companies are pouring cash into AI, and 93% of Fortune 500 CHROs say they’re using it to sharpen business practices. But here’s the thing: if your people aren’t using it, does that investment even matter? Most employees still say they never use AI—and that hasn’t changed in over a year.

Here's the question to ask..

How can companies see ROI on AI if it’s just sitting there, unused? If your team isn’t adopting AI, it’s not a tech problem—it’s a leadership one. Are you leading the charge in getting people on board?

But the truth is, AI won’t reach its full potential unless there’s a plan in place. Right now, only 33% of employees have even heard about their company’s AI strategy, and just 15% say there’s a clear roadmap for how AI is supposed to be integrated into everyday work.

Leadership matters here.

It’s not just about implementing AI—it’s about guiding your team through it. This means delivering training, crafting policies, and most importantly, communicating how AI can fit into and enhance existing workflows. Without these, AI remains an underutilised tool sitting on the shelf, instead of a powerhouse driving performance.

Training is key, yet nearly half of workers who use AI have never been trained to do so. Those who have received training are 89% more likely to see AI having a positive impact on their productivity and efficiency. This is where leadership has to step up—not only introducing the technology but enabling their teams to work with it effectively.