Senior leaders are significantly overestimating how widely artificial intelligence is being used across their organisations, raising concerns that many companies may be misjudging how prepared their workforce is for technological change.
Nearly six in ten leaders believe employees collaborate with AI every day, yet fewer than half of workers say they actually do so, according to new research examining AI adoption in the workplace commissioned by AI upskilling platform Multiverse.
The gap suggests many executives may have limited visibility into how artificial intelligence tools are really being used across frontline roles.
Leadership perception ‘out of step with reality’
The research shows that 59 percent of leaders believe employees work with AI daily, while only 42 percent of employees say they collaborate with the technology each day.
Leaders also appear to overestimate how extensively AI is being used for specific workplace tasks.
While 60 percent of leaders believe employees regularly use AI to automate repetitive tasks, only 36 percent of workers say they do so. A similar gap appears in data analysis for decision making, where 58 percent of leaders think employees rely on AI compared with 33 percent of workers who report doing so.
The data also suggests that AI use differs significantly depending on seniority.
More than half of mid-level employees, 52 percent, say they use AI in their work every day. By contrast, only 21 percent of junior employees report doing the same.
No ‘one-size-fits-all approach’
A similar pattern appears within management roles. Almost half of middle managers, 48 percent, say they collaborate with AI daily, compared with just 20 percent of individual contributors.
Gary Eimerman, chief learning officer at Multiverse, said the findings showed that organisations need more targeted approaches to training. “AI is not a monolithic tool, and its application varies wildly between a junior developer, a middle manager and a CEO,” he said. “The 30% gap in adoption we see between seniority levels is a clear signal that the one-size-fits-all approach to AI is failing.”
He said businesses must develop more tailored training programmes for different roles. “To bridge this divide, businesses must move beyond generic training and implement custom AI upskilling paths tailored to the unique daily workflows of every individual,” he said.
Limited training leaving leaders unprepared
The research suggests that many leaders themselves may not yet be fully equipped to guide AI adoption.
More than half of leaders, 55 percent, report receiving fewer than five hours of formal training on artificial intelligence from their organisations.
Instead, many say they are learning informally. Around 58 percent of leaders say they rely on experimenting with tools such as ChatGPT to teach themselves the basics of AI.
Both leaders and employees also identify cultural barriers to wider adoption. More than half of leaders, 53 percent, say resistance to change is a major obstacle, while 57 percent of employees point to negative attitudes towards AI as a barrier.
Despite these challenges, the research indicates strong support for greater investment in training. Eighty five percent of leaders and 78 percent of employees say more frequent AI training will be necessary to keep pace with rapid technological change.
The research was conducted by consulting firm Coleman Parkes among 2,000 respondents in the UK and the United States, including 810 technology leaders and 1,190 employees.
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He is a prolific author and contributor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional, with over 127 published posts covering HR, employee engagement, and workplace wellbeing topics. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers, and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
