A new global survey of 3,750 executives and employees paints a picture of growing workplace friction over artificial intelligence, with more than half of workers admitting they sidestep company-provided AI tools to get their jobs done. The findings, released by WalkMe, a software firm owned by SAP, indicate that despite heavy corporate investment in AI, a significant portion of the workforce remains unconvinced of its benefits.
According to the survey, 54 percent of workers said they avoid using their employer's AI tools and prefer to complete tasks manually. A third of all respondents reported never using AI at work at all. These numbers suggest that the enthusiasm for AI in the boardroom has not translated into everyday adoption on the office floor.
A Trust Gap Between Leadership and Staff
The survey also highlights a stark divide in confidence. While 61 percent of executives said they trust AI for complex, business-critical decisions, only 9 percent of workers shared that sentiment. Similarly, 88 percent of executives expressed confidence that the AI tools they introduced were adequate, but just 21 percent of employees agreed.
This disconnect is more than a matter of opinion. The data shows that 81 percent of executives believe their AI deployments have significantly improved productivity. Yet workers report spending an average of eight hours per week—equivalent to 51 workdays a year—correcting errors caused by AI systems. That marks a sharp increase from last year's WalkMe survey, which found workers losing 36 days annually to AI-related friction.
Economist Steve Hanke of Johns Hopkins University weighed in on the findings, telling Fortune, “AI didn’t deliver. Welcome to the real world. Forget the AI bubble. You know, it didn’t deliver. You look at all the surveys and yeah, everybody’s using it a little bit, but you dig into it and it hasn’t done much.” Hanke added that productivity growth remains weak, contradicting optimistic projections from Silicon Valley.
The survey results add to a growing body of evidence that AI’s workplace benefits may be overstated. A widely cited MIT study from August of last year found that 95 percent of AI deployments failed to generate the expected return on investment. WalkMe’s latest data suggests little improvement since then, though executives appear largely unaware of the ongoing struggles.
For employees, the burden of fixing AI’s mistakes has become a routine part of the job, eroding trust and fueling resistance. The gap between executive perception and worker experience underscores a challenge for companies seeking to integrate AI into daily operations.
As organizations continue to invest in AI, the survey suggests that addressing employee concerns and demonstrating tangible value will be critical to closing the adoption gap.
A new survey of 3,750 executives and employees reveals widespread worker avoidance of AI tools, with 54% preferring to do tasks manually. The data also shows a stark trust gap between leaders and staff, as productivity gains remain elusive and cleanup work consumes hours.
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