Half of American workers now say they use some form of AI technology in their role, pushing the number over the critical point for the first time.
New Gallup research found 50% of employees now reported using AI tools at work in some capacity, a rise of 4% from the previous quarter, and up 21% from the same period just three years ago.
The study also found the mood around using AI at work appears to be changing, with many workers softening their stance on the technology despite the risk it poses to their jobs.
AI acceptance
Taking place over February 4 to February 19, 2026, Gallup's survey specifically asked 23,717 US employees how often they used AI as part of their role, and what effect it was having on their work.
It found the usage of AI at work is also increasing, with 13% of employees now saying they use AI on a daily basis, with 28% reporting they use it a few times a week or more.
Overall, businesses appear to be getting to grips with the changes, with 41% of employees reporting their organization has integrated AI in a bid to improve organizational practices, up three points from the previous quarter.
Workers in AI-friendly businesses were more likely to report "disruption" and both positive and negative changes in staffing levels, along with a boost in productivity.
However only about one in 10 employees in organizations adopting AI said they strongly agree the technology has transformed how work gets done in their organization.
The survey found 27% of employees in those firms embracing AI stating their workplace has changed in disruptive ways to a large or very large extent in the past year - as opposed to just 17% in non-AI firms.
More and more workers are voicing concern about the effect AI will have on their jobs, with a shocking 18% of all employees surveyed saying it would be very or somewhat likely their job will be eliminated within the next five years due to AI or automation.
"Most employees who use AI report improvements in their productivity and efficiency, particularly in leadership and knowledge-based roles where they can readily apply AI to daily tasks," Gallup noted in its report.
"For many workers, however, these benefits appear at the level of individual tasks rather than broader workplace systems. While some employees report transformational effects, relatively few say AI has fundamentally changed how work gets done across their organization."
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