One in Five US Workers Use AI Without Employer Approval

Recent studies reveal a significant rise in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools among workers in the United States and the United Kingdom, with many employees adopting AI independently, often without formal employer approval. Surveys show that about 20% of American workers use AI secretly at work, primarily in marketing, sales, and operations, saving time and operational costs while enhancing confidence and competitiveness. Meanwhile, nearly half of U.S. workers report using AI in their roles, with millennials leading adoption, and most users credit AI with improving productivity and work quality. In the UK, AI adoption is rapidly growing, with 39% of businesses utilizing AI and an estimated seven million workers using generative AI daily; however, the workforce readiness gap is a concern, prompting government initiatives to upskill employees. Additionally, a notable portion of employees using Chinese generative AI tools have exposed sensitive business data, raising security and privacy concerns due to the opaque nature of data handling by these platforms. Across all research, while AI use brings clear benefits, employees express worries about job security, output quality, and customer trust, underscoring the need for thoughtful, ethical integration and robust training strategies to manage AI’s expanding role in the workplace.