A new BambooHR survey of 1,500+ U.S. salaried employees shows the AI divide between executives and employees is more Grand Canyon than puddle. While 72% of VP-level execs use AI tools daily, only 18% of individual contributors (ICs) do the same. The gap isn’t just in adoption—it’s in values and perceptions. Execs see AI-generated work as high quality (80% say so), and 61% even view AI users more favorably. Meanwhile, most ICs either don’t see the benefit or don’t feel safe disclosing their usage—23% admit hiding it.
The mixed signals from leadership aren’t helping. Although three-quarters of companies officially support or stay neutral toward AI use, ICs often miss the memo. Only 17% of them believe their company actively encourages AI—far less than the 56% of execs who think they’re already cheering from the sidelines. Training plays a big role here: 45% of employees at large firms report formal AI education, compared to a mere 21% at companies with fewer than 50 people.
Millennials are leading DIY efforts to get ahead, with two-thirds teaching themselves AI skills. But opportunities are uneven. Women, smaller company employees, and remote workers all show lower adoption rates, often due to lack of training or security concerns. HR folks, take note: if AI use is a future job expectation, formal policies and inclusive training need to catch up now. The 4As tackled many of these issues at its recent Elevate AI virtual conference – key takeaways can be found here.
Full story on the AI usage data can be found at Bamboo HR.