As artificial intelligence (AI) tools continue to advance rapidly, a growing number of American workers report incorporating the technology into their jobs.

According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in September, 21% of U.S. workers now say that at least some of their work involves AI—up from 16% about a year ago. Despite this increase, the majority of workers (65%) still report using AI little or not at all in their jobs.

The rise in AI adoption is primarily driven by an increase in workers who say *some* of their tasks involve AI, which grew from 14% in 2023 to 19% in 2024. In contrast, the share of workers who say *all or most* of their work is done with AI remains steady at just 2%.

Awareness of AI in the workplace is also expanding: the percentage of workers who say they haven’t heard or read about AI use at work dropped from 17% to 12% over the past year.

Certain demographic groups are leading this shift. Workers under age 50 and those with a bachelor’s degree or higher are the most likely to use AI on the job. Notably, the overall increase in workplace AI use is largely attributable to more educated workers.

Among those with at least a bachelor’s degree, the share using AI for at least some of their work rose from 20% to 28%. By comparison, workers with some college education or less saw a smaller—but still statistically significant—increase, from 13% to 16%.

Even among those who don’t currently use AI at work—including those unfamiliar with its workplace applications—perceptions are shifting. In 2024, 36% of non-users said that at least some of their job *could* be done with AI, up from 31% in 2023. Meanwhile, 46% still believe that little or none of their work is suitable for AI—a figure nearly unchanged from last year’s 45%.

AI in the Workplace: Pew Research Center Findings

AI in the Workplace

Pew Research Center Findings on Artificial Intelligence Adoption and Attitudes Among U.S. Workers

Research Methodology

Survey Period September 2-8, 2025

Sample Size 5,010 U.S. workers

Sampling Method Nationally representative sample

Research Organization Pew Research Center

AI Usage Statistics

21%

of U.S. workers use AI in their jobs

Up from 16% last year

All or most of their work is done with AI

19%

Some of their work is done with AI

65%

Don't use AI much or at all

Demographic Differences in AI Usage

AI Usage by Education Level

+8 percentage points Workers with bachelor's degrees: 20% → 28%

+3 percentage points Workers with some college or less: 13% → 16%

Age factor Workers younger than 50 are more likely to use AI in their jobs

Growth driver Increase in workplace AI usage is mostly driven by workers with higher education

Workers' Attitudes Toward AI

How Workers Feel About Future AI Use

52%

Worried

36%

Hopeful

33%

Overwhelmed

29%

Excited

Age Differences Younger workers (18-49) more excited about AI (32% vs 24%)

Education Impact Higher-educated workers have stronger feelings (both positive and negative)

Income Factor Upper-income workers more hopeful (45%) and excited (39%)

Worry Across Groups Feelings of worry tend to cut across all demographic groups

Impact on Job Opportunities

Workers' Views on AI's Impact on Job Opportunities

More opportunities

32%

Fewer opportunities

31%

No difference

Education Level Postgraduate degree holders less concerned (24% vs 35% with bachelor's degree)

Income Factor Upper-income workers less concerned (26% vs 37% lower-income)

AI Users More likely to see impact (42% think fewer opportunities vs 30% non-users)

Industry Differences IT and finance workers most optimistic about more opportunities

Key Takeaways

Growing but Limited Usage

AI usage increased from 16% to 21% but still limited to about 1 in 5 workers

Education Gap

Workers with bachelor's degrees show largest increase in AI usage (20% → 28%)

Mixed Feelings

Workers are more worried (52%) than hopeful (36%) about AI in the workplace

Job Impact Perceptions

Only 6% think AI will create more opportunities, while 32% expect fewer

About 1 in 5 U.S. workers now use AI in their job, up since last year