In the fourth quarter of 2025, U.S. employees who already use artificial intelligence (AI) at work reported slightly higher usage than the previous quarter. Daily AI use rose from 10% to 12%, while frequent use — defined as several times per week — climbed to 26%.Â
Overall AI adoption, counting those using it at least a few times a year, remained flat, with nearly half of U.S. workers reporting they never use AI in their roles, according to a new report from Gallup.Â
Organizational implementation showed little change: 38% of employees said their companies have integrated AI to improve efficiency and productivity, while 41% said their organization had not, and 21% were unsure.
Adoption Varies by Industry
AI use is highest in technology, finance, and higher education, where daily and frequent usage outpaces most other sectors. Technology workers reported 77% total AI use, with 57% using it frequently. Finance and higher education followed closely, with total use at 64% and 63%, respectively.
In contrast, adoption is lower in retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and government roles. Retail reported the lowest engagement, with only 33% of employees using AI at all, including 10% daily. Gains in Q4 were uneven, with finance and professional services seeing the largest increases, while retail adoption remained flat.
Remote-Capable Roles Lead the Way
Roles that can be performed remotely — typically office- or desk-based — show substantially higher AI adoption than non-remote-capable roles. Among remote-capable employees, total AI use climbed from 28% in mid-2023 to 66% by the end of 2025, with frequent use rising to 40%.Â
Non-remote-capable roles saw slower growth, with total use reaching only 32% and frequent use 17%.
Leaders Outpace Other Employees
Leadership positions consistently report higher AI use than managers or individual contributors. In Q4, 69% of leaders used AI at least a few times a year, compared with 55% of managers and 40% of individual contributors.Â
Frequent use followed a similar pattern, rising to 44% among leaders versus 30% for managers and 23% for individual contributors.
The gap reflects both the type of work leaders perform — often office-based and remote-capable — and clearer AI applications in decision-making and strategic tasks.
Implications for Organizations
Although total AI adoption appears to be plateauing, frequent use continues to deepen in certain sectors and roles. Knowledge-based and remote-capable positions, along with leadership roles, are driving the ongoing increase in engagement.
The findings underscore the importance for organizations to tailor AI adoption strategies to specific roles, ensuring employees understand practical use cases rather than assuming uniform uptake across all functions. Without role-specific guidance, AI may deepen gaps in productivity rather than enhance overall performance.
