While artificial intelligence (AI) has found widespread adoption in the workplace, a majority of employees feel it isn’t delivering on its much-hyped promise. According to the ‘Pulse of Work in 2025: Trends, Truths and the Practicality of AI’ report by GoTo and Workplace Intelligence, 78% of employees are using AI tools—ranging from free platforms like ChatGPT to enterprise solutions. Yet, many believe the return on investment is overstated.
A striking 62% of employees say AI has been overhyped, while 57% believe its value and ROI are exaggerated. Moreover, 59% don’t believe AI will take over human jobs. The issue isn’t with the technology itself but with how it’s being used—86% of employees admit they aren’t utilizing AI to its full potential.
This underutilization spans all age groups: 91% of Baby Boomers, 88% of Gen X, 86% of Millennials, and 78% of Gen Z say they’re not maximizing the technology. The primary reasons? A lack of access, training, trust, and clear organizational policies.
The global study surveyed 2,500 full-time knowledge workers and IT decision-makers across 10 countries, including India, the US, UK, Germany, and Brazil. Among employees, 53% use free AI tools, 23% use company-purchased tools, 19% use in-house developed tools, and 12% use tools they bought themselves.
Despite AI’s popularity, 64% caution against treating it as a one-size-fits-all solution for business challenges. Additionally, 68% believe AI’s accuracy and capabilities are often misrepresented. IT leaders are more optimistic—less than 50% of them feel AI is overhyped—but they, too, have concerns. These include security (35%), integration challenges (21%), lack of industry-specific solutions (22%), high costs (20%), and inadequate vendor support and training (20%). Notably, 26% also worry about employee trust.
One of the most alarming findings: employees are spending 2.6 hours a day—roughly 13 hours a week—on tasks that AI could handle more efficiently. This lost productivity could translate into substantial financial losses for businesses.
Even Baby Boomers, often seen as less tech-savvy, believe AI could save them at least two hours of work each day. Yet, a significant disconnect remains—35% of employees don’t know which tasks can be automated, and a similar number are unaware of how AI could benefit their workflows. Meanwhile, 33% feel current AI tools don’t align with their industry, and 28% admit to using AI without a clear purpose.
Perhaps most concerning is the trust gap: 86% of employees and 53% of IT leaders don’t fully trust AI’s accuracy. And with 82% of workers unfamiliar with how to practically apply AI—contrasted with only 49% of IT leaders recognizing this struggle—it’s clear there’s a pressing need to close the knowledge and trust gap within organizations.
To unlock AI’s full potential, businesses must prioritize employee education, industry-specific integration, and trust-building initiatives. Without bridging these divides, AI may remain an underutilized resource rather than a transformative force.
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