Opening the AI gates: Why it is time to democratise AI

AI is transforming the workplace—but not equally. Our latest report reveals who's benefiting, who's not. Find out why it matters.

AI is now accessible to everyone, so why is it leaving so many behind?

AI is everywhere. From adverts for Motion promising to hack your diary to rumoured AI-generated music bands, AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it is today's reality, and it is reshaping the way we work. OpenAI has more than 100 million weekly users. LinkedIn now tags AI literacy as a must-have skill. Governments are scrambling to regulate the tech while rolling out national strategies for adoption.

But here's the uncomfortable truth: while AI promises to elevate the workforce, it's deepening existing inequalities.

Our latest Digital Etiquette report, Unlocking the AI gates, exposes how far the divide in the workplace has grown as the adoption of AI has increased. Despite being widely available, AI has yet to become the democratising force it has the potential to be. Higher-income earners are gaining faster access to tools and better training than their lower-earning colleagues and, as a result, are experiencing far greater AI-driven satisfaction and time savings at work. The trend plays out worse for women, who, even when they earn the same or hold similar seniority, receive less training and feel less confident using AI.

The gap in AI access isn't just an inequality issue—it's a productivity issue

Dive into the report

AI's winners—and those being left behind

As part of our annual Digital Etiquette Report, 4,000 knowledge workers across the UK, the US, Germany, and Canada shared with us their experiences with AI access, training, and perceptions. The results were startling:

High earners are twice as likely to have had 20+ hours of AI training in the past year.
Only 6% of low-income respondents said AI increased their job satisfaction, compared to 50% of high earners.
Women receive less training than their male counterparts throughout organisational hierarchies: only 58% of women in director roles received structured training sessions on AI from external providers compared with 73% of men in the same position.
At intern level, the figures show that men are more than twice as likely to have received external training (47% versus 23%). Interns and entry-level staff were far less likely to feel safe using AI at work than senior leaders.

Why do these figures matter? Global trends point to expectations of even more AI presence in the workplace. In the past month alone, major corporations like AWS and Microsoft have announced a $4 billion commitment to AI upskilling for schools, colleges, and non-profits. There is a rush for all of us to upskill in AI to be more productive, more efficient, and to ultimately do more with less, but – as our research unveils – access to training is not equal. The contradiction is clear: AI is becoming an essential skill, yet securing meaningful access to tools and training is proving more difficult than those who are already AI proficient may believe.

But at the same time, as workers are expected to upskill, unions and workers' rights organisations are voicing concern about job displacement and AI bias. Inequal access to AI resources may actually accelerate the workplace disruption that many fear, and our research shows that this may disproportionately affect low-income earners, younger workers, and women.

For those who do unlock the AI gate, the results are game-changing. Our research found that 46% of workers with 20+ hours of AI training save more than 11 hours per week, which averages 70 days reclaimed over the course of a year! Some of our respondents reported even more time saved, and the time saved and job satisfaction went hand in hand, as respondents reported using time saved for focusing on previously neglected parts of their role (36%), deeper collaboration with their teams (29%) and wellbeing activities (24%). Our data was clear: when proper training is implemented alongside AI, it is not just productivity that is unlocked, it is the happiness of your teams.

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AI isn't the future, it is the now, and it must be accessible to all

Despite the significant benefits of AI training, fewer than half of the respondents received more than 20 hours of instruction, and access to training was not distributed equally. Lower earners were significantly less likely to receive training, and for women, neither income nor seniority improved access, with only 58% of women in director roles receiving structured training sessions on AI from external providers compared with 73% of men in the same position. Yet, a strong desire to learn remains: nearly 24% of respondents said they felt they hadn't received sufficient training. Still, 35% admitted they're afraid to ask for it. Younger employees fear being seen as replaceable, while many women reported greater anxiety over job security, even when they've had similar levels of exposure.

If AI is the tool to define both our present and our future, everyone must have access to training, ensuring the workforce can reap the benefits now and be prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.

Unlocking the AI gate is a strategic advantage

AI is no longer just technical; it is essential to all teams. Businesses that want to realise the full value of their AI investments need to think beyond tools. They need to create learning opportunities through in-depth training and safe spaces for experimentation. Only then will we see a more productive, more collaborative workforce, and that is how business works better.

Are you a media partner or journalist and want to cover our report? Contact our media team at adaptavist@wearetfd.com

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