Gallup Research: Frequent Use of AI in the Workplace Continued to Rise in Q4
🔗https://www.gallup.com/workplace/701195/frequent-workplace-continued-rise.aspx
This Gallup research tracks how often U.S. employees use AI at work and how that’s changing over time. In Q4 2025, usage “intensity” rose modestly among people who already use AI: daily use edged up (from 10% to 12% since 2023) and “frequent” use (at least a few times a week) reached 26%.
But the overall share of employees who use AI at least occasionally (a few times a year) was flat in Q4, and 49% say they never use AI in their role—a reminder that workplace AI adoption is still very uneven.
The report also notes that organizational integration appears relatively steady: 38% of employees say their organization has integrated AI to improve productivity/efficiency/quality, while 41% say it has not, and 21% aren’t sure.
AI use varies by industry and role type
AI use clusters strongly where work is information-heavy and tool-friendly. Gallup finds the highest usage in technology, finance, and higher education, and the lowest in retail, manufacturing, and healthcare. The Q4 snapshot shows technology at the top (total AI use 77%, including 57% frequent and 31% daily), with finance (64% total) and college/university (63% total) also high; retail is lowest (33% total).
Growth was uneven in Q4: finance and professional services increased their total AI user base the most (up six and five points, respectively), while technology’s total user growth looks like it’s starting to level—but with frequent use rising among existing users. A second major driver is whether a job is “remote-capable”: since Q2 2023, total AI use in remote-capable roles jumped from 28% to 66% (frequent use from 13% to 40%), while non-remote-capable roles rose from 15% to 32% (frequent use from 8% to 17%). AI diffusion is following the shape of work (digital/desk-based) more than the shape of industries alone.
Leaders use AI more than other employees
Leaders are consistently ahead—and the gap is widening. In Q4, 69% of leaders say they use AI at least a few times a year, versus 55% of managers and 40% of individual contributors. Frequent use shows a similar pattern over time: since Q2 2023, frequent AI use rose from 17% → 44% for leaders, 15% → 30% for managers, and 9% → 23% for individual contributors.
The report suggests a plausible reason: leaders are more likely to be in office-based, remote-capable roles where AI tools fit more naturally—and leaders may also see clearer “utility” because they work more on synthesis, decision support, communication, and planning.
Implications
The central takeaway is a “two-speed” adoption curve: overall adoption looks like it’s slowing, yet usage is deepening inside certain segments (knowledge-work industries, remote-capable roles, and leadership). That helps explain why topline numbers can appear flat while day-to-day AI reliance still grows.
Gallup flags “lack of utility” as the most common barrier to individual AI use—implying that many employees either don’t have role-relevant use cases, don’t see quality improvements, or don’t have the support and workflows to make AI worth it.
For organizations, the message is practical: don’t treat AI rollout as one blanket initiative. Instead, map which roles and workflows can actually benefit, build crisp use cases, and support adoption through managers and clear communication,