A July GKI survey of a representative sample of 1,000 people examined the prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace. The results show that nearly half of employees do not use AI at work at all.
Why do people not use AI at work?
Among those who never or rarely use AI, the most frequently cited reasons were:
- 30% do not see how AI could help their work;
- 31% say AI is not relevant to their job;
- 29% cite a lack of technical knowledge.
By contrast, formal or organizational barriers — for example, a workplace ban or an unsupportive organizational culture — were reported by only a small share (5–7%) of respondents. Respondents could select multiple answers, so percentages may sum to more than 100%.
The survey therefore indicates that AI use is primarily limited by personal knowledge and motivation gaps rather than institutional prohibitions.
What the demographics show
There are only a few gender differences: men are somewhat more skeptical about AI's usefulness, while women more often feel they lack the technical skills to apply it. Notably, usage rates between the two genders are essentially the same.
Younger people report technological knowledge gaps less often, whereas older age groups report them more frequently. At the same time, only a small share of those over 50 say that organizational culture prevents them from using AI.
Differences by occupational group
Blocking factors vary substantially by occupation:
- Among self-employed intellectuals who do not use AI, 56% cite a lack of technical skills as an obstacle; yet this group is the least likely to say AI would not help their work.
- Entrepreneurs tend to feel more confident in their technical abilities, but 64% of them do not see how AI could assist their work.
- Corporate leaders most often cited lack of organizational support (13%) and company regulations (17%) as barriers.
It is noteworthy that only 1% of public sector office employees report workplace regulations as a barrier to AI use (compared to 7% in the private sector), and only 9% mention organizational culture as inhibitory.
Conclusions and recommendations
The survey highlights that AI's positive effect on productivity is visible, but its spread is mainly hindered by internal factors — lack of technical knowledge, trust deficits and skepticism about possible applications. In the long run, competitiveness will favor companies and countries that can implement new technologies like AI.
The authors therefore consider the establishment of suitable training structures indispensable, at both corporate and state levels: proper education could significantly expand the user base and help employees recognize practical ways AI can support their work.
Analysis authors: Mihályi Máté; dr. Molnár László
Research areas: economic policy, macroeconomics, labor market, social mobility; regional differences, environmental challenges and labor market trends.
