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Despite executives’ continued promotion of AI in the workplace and employees’ growing interest in AI technology, the U.S. workforce faces barriers hindering its adoption. Recent qualitative research by the Slack Workforce Index found that AI adoption among U.S. workers decelerated to just one percent growth from August through October compared to last year’s 8 percent increase.
When AI Progression Stalls Out, U.S. Companies Miss Out
U.S. companies could see increased revenue from AI adoption in their workforces. Gong’s State of Revenue Growth 2025 report found that revenue organizations using AI in 2024 reported 29 percent higher sales growth than their peers. AI remains a top focus for U.S. executives, with 99 percent saying they will invest in AI this year and 97 percent indicating that they feel some level of urgency to incorporate AI into their business operations. However, its successful implementation in the workplace is necessary for their investments to pay off.
Slack’s research indicates that providing Artificial Intelligence guidance to employees could improve AI uptake by helping overcome the following barriers to adoption:
- Lack of employer-provided AI training
- Uncertainty regarding appropriate AI usage in the workplace
- Pressure felt by workers to become an AI expert while receiving little support from management
- Workers feel uncomfortable admitting AI use to managers for fear of being perceived negatively
Hesitancy and Uncertainty Among U.S. Workers
Slack’s data shows that U.S. workers feel discomfort regarding AI due to the lack of guidance surrounding its social and professional applications. Findings indicate that 48 percent of all desk workers would be uncomfortable admitting to their manager that they used AI for workplace tasks. Causes included fear of being perceived as lazy, less competent, or cheating as a result of AI use.
Research also suggests uncertainty among workers about permissible Artificial Intelligence use at work. When presented with a list of 11 common work tasks, 48 percent of desk workers said they would feel uncomfortable admitting to their managers that they used AI for one or more of the duties listed.
Addressing The AI Adoption Issue
Workers with guidance to use AI experienced a 13 percent increase in AI adoption since January compared to two percent among employees without. Additionally, workers who feel comfortable disclosing their AI use with their managers are 67 percent more likely to have used AI for work. Despite this, research shows 61 percent of workers have spent fewer than five hours learning how to use AI, and nearly two in five desk workers say their company has no AI usage guidelines.
For U.S. business leaders, prioritizing AI guidance and employee training could encourage AI uptake. Addressing the training gaps with AI agents would provide more clarity and confidence to workers regarding AI use, promoting further adoption within U.S. organizations.