A recent Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report — the fourth annual "AI at Work" survey — finds that artificial intelligence (AI) is not only boosting productivity and improving time use, but is fundamentally reshaping how work is done, the roles of leaders and managers, and the employee experience.
The study surveyed 11,749 workers across 14 countries and a range of industries. Key findings include:
- 72% of respondents say AI has already substantially changed which competencies and skills are expected in their roles.
- Among knowledge workers, AI adoption has accelerated: 74% now consider themselves regular AI users, a 23 percentage-point increase in one year.
- Nearly half of regular AI users now spend more time directing and overseeing AI than on the tasks the AI performs for them.
- Two-thirds of regular AI users report that AI improves employee experience and job satisfaction, while 41% report increased mental and cognitive load — an "enjoyment paradox" that makes work both better and more taxing.
- 42% of knowledge workers who use AI regularly save at least one full workday per week thanks to AI.
Leadership shifts and AI agents
The survey highlights a clear shift in leadership responsibilities. BCG partner Kotsis Ádám emphasizes that AI does not simply replace work; it forces a rethinking of where and how humans create value within processes. Sixty-five percent of leaders and managers believe that within three years AI agents could perform at least half of their work.
Adoption of AI agents has grown quickly: while only 13% of respondents reported in 2025 that AI agents were integrated into daily workflows, this year 30% say they are. Six in ten respondents expect AI agents to be able to perform at least half of their work within three years.
However, more than half of respondents still have limited understanding of what AI agents actually are, and governance and accountability mechanisms — including controls — lag significantly behind technological progress.
Strategy gap and the use of freed-up time
The report stresses that long-term AI impact depends on strategic thinking. Although workers often gain one or more workdays per week through AI, 66% of regular AI users say they receive little or no guidance on how to use that freed time. More than half do not redirect the saved time to higher-value or more strategic tasks.
According to BCG, a clear corporate AI strategy increases AI impact by 25 percentage points, whereas simply providing better AI tools delivers only a 5 percentage-point improvement. Without strategic direction, the time savings frequently "leak away" and fail to generate sustained business value.
Geographic differences and business outcomes
Among markets studied, the United States, France and Italy are relative laggards, while countries in the global south lead in AI adoption among frontline, non-managerial knowledge workers. At the same time, companies have accelerated development of new business models and products: the number of such initiatives nearly doubled in one year.
Where organizations move beyond treating AI as a tool and redesign end-to-end workflows and business processes, they are able to create more business value and improve employee experience simultaneously. BCG calls this combined effect the "reshape/invent dividend."
Conclusions
BCG's survey indicates that AI is already changing expectations about skills and roles and is transforming leadership duties. Despite rapid technological progress, organizational success will depend on providing clear strategy and guidance to employees, effectively using the time freed by AI, and building governance and accountability for AI agents.
