According to the report, titled ‘The Pulse of Work in 2025’, 62% of the workers who participated in the survey believe that AI is overhyped. Despite widespread deployment of AI tools in the workplace, a staggering 86% of workers admitted they’re not using these tools to their full potential, and 82% said they are not familiar with how to use AI in their day-to-day work.
This disconnect may explain why many employees are taking AI into unexpected territory. Over half (54%) of respondents said they’ve used AI for tasks requiring emotional intelligence (29%), safety-sensitive decisions (25%), and even ethical and personnel actions (16%)—matters they admit they weren’t supposed to use AI for. More strikingly, 77% of those who used AI for such tasks said they didn’t regret doing so.
The findings are based on a survey of 2,500 full-time employees and IT leaders conducted across the US, UK, India, Australia and Germany by GoTo in partnership with research firm Workplace Intelligence.
“Employees are already using AI and are seeing clear productivity gains, yet despite these benefits, our latest research shows people still view AI as overhyped.
“While many recognise its value, they don’t yet see it as the revolutionary change they were promised,” said Rich Veldran, chief executive of GoTo. “This gap likely exists because many workers admit they aren’t realising AI’s full potential or don’t know how to apply it in practical ways.”The findings suggest it’s not just a matter of access, but education.GoTo’s research showed that most employees spend 2.6 hours daily, or 13 hours per week, on tasks that could be done by AI. Yet, 86% of workers remain skeptical of AI’s accuracy and reliability, with 76% saying they often must fix or refine AI-generated outputs.
The issue spans generations, too. “Contrary to what you might think, it’s not just older workers who are struggling to realise the benefits of AI tools,” said Dan Schawbel, managing partner at Workplace Intelligence. “Younger workers also admit they’re not using these tools to their full potential. In fact, 74% of Gen Z employees say they aren’t very familiar with how to use AI practically in their day-to-day work. This highlights the importance of equipping all generations with the tools and education to use AI safely and effectively.”
Company size also plays a role in AI adoption. At firms with fewer than 50 employees, just 59% of workers who participated in the survey said they use AI tools, while 46% said they don’t know how to use AI to save time or improve work outcomes.
Larger organisations see much higher usage rates, with close to 80% of employees using AI, according to the report.
Beyond education, gaps in infrastructure and planning are compounding the problem. Employees surveyed said they would find AI-powered virtual assistants (88%), task automation tools (86%), and generative AI (81%) valuable, but less than half reported having access to these.
Only 45% of IT leaders said their company even has an AI usage policy, according to the survey report.
Even among those leading tech adoption, purpose appeared to be lacking. One in five IT leaders admitted their company is buying AI tools but the decision is not based on any deliberate plan. Nearly half (49%) said they aren’t effectively measuring the return on investment.
“The solution is clear: companies must go beyond just providing access to AI by ensuring employees have both the right tools and the right education,” said Veldran. “By equipping teams with effective training and clear guidelines, organisations can empower their workforce to unlock the true transformational impact of AI.”