AI is becoming a bigger part of work, but its benefits are not reaching workers evenly.
PwC’s 2026 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey, based on nearly 50,000 workers globally, found that 64% used AI at work in the past year, up from 54% a year earlier. Daily generative AI use also rose from 14% to 22%.
Behind those numbers is a growing divide between workers who are gaining skills and opportunities through AI and the much larger group that has less access to the technology and development opportunities.
14% Of Workers Are Pulling Ahead With AI
PwC identified four workforce groups based on workers’ AI advantage and the market demand for their skills.
The smallest group, called “front-runners,” represents 14% of workers. These employees report strong AI skills and high demand for their capabilities.
They are also more confident about their careers. Eighty-five percent feel very confident about their job security, while two-thirds say they are very likely to seek a promotion or pay raise over the next year. Nearly three in 10, or 29%, say they are very or extremely likely to change employers.
More than half of front-runners use generative AI daily, compared with 11% of the much larger core workforce.
56% Of Workers Are Being Left Further Behind
The “engine room” makes up 56% of the workforce and is responsible for much of the day-to-day delivery of work. Yet this group has less access to AI, learning and innovation.
Only half of these workers feel confident about their job security. Just 33% trust top management, while 40% trust their immediate manager.
Access to development is also uneven. Less than 40% of engine-room workers say they have access to learning and development resources, compared with nearly 80% of front-runners.
Financial pressure adds to the divide. Only 34% of workers globally say they can pay their bills while having money left over, down eight percentage points from the previous year. Sixty-two percent say the cost of living had a moderate or major impact on them at work over the past year.
AI Use Is Linked To Higher Job Confidence
Workers who use AI more frequently report a more positive experience with work. Among daily generative AI users, 68% feel very or extremely confident about their job security. PwC’s 2026 AI Jobs Barometer also found that workers with AI skills command a 62% wage premium, up from 57% in 2025.
But greater AI use does not mean workers blindly trust the technology. Thirty-one percent of daily AI users identified concerns about accuracy or quality as a top barrier to using AI.
The difference in AI use is particularly pronounced between workforce groups. While 51% of front-runners use generative AI daily, only 11% of the engine room does.
Learning Opportunities Aren’t Keeping Pace
Workers are developing new skills, but access to formal development is falling.
Eighty-eight percent said they had applied new skills at work over the past year, while 64% said they had needed to learn new tools or technology.
Yet only 51% said they have access to learning and development resources, down from 59% a year earlier. Only 49% said they understand the skills they will need in the future.
Managers are also under pressure. Thirty-one percent of senior executives and 24% of managers said they find it difficult to manage change, while managers’ confidence in their own job security has fallen six percentage points year over year.
AI Adoption Alone Isn’t Producing The Returns
PwC’s research argues that companies will need to change how work is organized if they want AI investments to produce meaningful returns.
Its AI Performance Study found that just 20% of companies capture 74% of AI-driven returns. Those companies were more likely to offer incentives for AI experimentation, provide ongoing role-specific training and redesign workflows around AI.
The findings suggest that access to AI tools alone is creating a divided workforce. Companies that want more workers to benefit will need to pair AI access with training, redesigned workflows and incentives that give employees time and support to develop new skills.
