American workers have rapidly embraced artificial intelligence (AI) in their professional lives over the past few years, according to a recent Gallup Workforce survey. Conducted this fall among more than 22,000 U.S. workers, the survey revealed that 12% of employed adults now utilize AI daily in their jobs. Approximately one-quarter reported frequent AI use, defined as at least a few times a week, while nearly half employ AI at least a few times a year. This marks a significant increase from 2023, when Gallup first began tracking this metric, finding only 21% using AI at least occasionally. This surge is largely attributed to the widespread commercial boom sparked by generative AI tools like ChatGPT, which facilitate tasks such as writing emails and code, summarizing documents, creating images, and answering questions.

The adoption of AI spans various professions, with some notable examples highlighting its practical applications. Gene Walinski, a 70-year-old Home Depot store associate in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, regularly consults an AI assistant on his personal phone to answer customer queries about supplies he's less familiar with in the electrical department. He believes his job would suffer without it, preventing him from providing helpful responses. In the financial sector, Andrea Tanzi, a 28-year-old investment banker at Bank of America in New York, uses AI tools daily to synthesize complex documents and data sets, tasks that would otherwise consume several hours. He also leverages the bank’s internal AI chatbot, Erica, for administrative support. Similarly, Joyce Hatzidakis, a 60-year-old high school art teacher in Riverside, California, utilizes AI chatbots to refine her communications with parents, allowing her to focus on content while the AI perfects the tone and grammar, leading to fewer parent complaints.

While frequent AI use is on the rise across the workforce, adoption rates are notably higher in technology-related fields. Around 60% of technology workers report frequent AI use, with about 30% using it daily. Although the share of tech workers using AI daily or regularly has grown substantially since 2023, there are indications that this explosive increase between 2024 and 2025 might be starting to plateau. Beyond technology and finance, majorities of professionals in services, higher education, and K-12 education also report using AI at least a few times a year. A previous Gallup survey indicated that about 60% of AI-using employees rely on chatbots or virtual assistants, while 40% use AI for information consolidation, idea generation, or learning new things. Hatzidakis, for instance, transitioned from ChatGPT to Google’s Gemini as her school district's official tool and even uses it for crafting recommendation letters.

The promotion of AI adoption in workplaces and schools is heavily advocated by the AI industry and the U.S. government, driven by the need to justify substantial investments in energy-intensive AI computing systems. However, economists hold differing views on AI's potential to boost productivity or impact employment. Sam Manning, a fellow at the Centre for the Governance of AI, co-authored papers on AI's job effects, noting that workers most exposed to AI, often in computer-based roles, possess characteristics that make them adaptable. These individuals typically have higher education levels, wider skill sets, and greater savings, which aid in weathering potential income shocks from job displacement.

Conversely, Manning's research also identified approximately 6.1 million U.S. workers who are highly exposed to AI but are less equipped to adapt. Predominantly in administrative and clerical roles, about 86% of this group are women, older, and concentrated in smaller cities with fewer alternative career opportunities. For these workers, whose skills are more susceptible to automation, a lower savings buffer and fewer transferable skills could make an income shock significantly more harmful and difficult to manage.

Despite the increasing integration of AI, a separate Gallup Workforce survey from 2025 found that few employees are concerned about their jobs being eliminated by new technology, automation, robots, or AI within the next five years. Half of the respondents stated it was "not at all likely," though this figure has decreased from 60% in 2023. This sentiment is echoed by individuals like Rev. Michael Bingham, a pastor from Jacksonville, Florida, who, despite AI's limitations (such as generating "gibberish" on theological topics), asserts he would never use a "soulless" machine for sermon writing, emphasizing the need for human connection and divine guidance in his work. He highlights the irreplaceable human element in care and support, especially during critical life moments. Similarly, Gene Walinski of Home Depot is "not at all worried" about AI replacing him, believing that the "human interface part is really what a store like mine works on. It's all about the people." AI usage is less prevalent in service-based sectors such as retail, healthcare, and manufacturing, further underscoring the perceived value of human interaction in these fields.

The Gallup's quarterly workforce surveys are conducted with a random sample of full-time and part-time adults aged 18 and older from U.S. organizations, who are members of Gallup’s probability-based Gallup Panel. The most recent survey, involving 22,368 employed U.S. adults, took place from October 30 to November 13, 2025, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 1 percentage point for all respondents.