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Digital Etiquette: Unlocking the AI gates
AI has been hailed as accelerating the entire workforce. Is it true?
The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is in full swing and shows no signs of slowing down. While some businesses formally embrace the technology, others are fighting against employees bringing in unsanctioned tools. But there are some universal questions we should be asking as we glide along the adoption curve.
Who benefits most from AI in the workplace? How much AI enablement does someone need to truly get the most from it? Do some people feel more threatened by AI than their colleagues, and if so, who?
We surveyed 4,000 knowledge workers across the UK, USA, Germany, and Canada to understand their AI experience: training, usage, perceptions, benefits, and concerns.
Knowledge workers are those whose main capital is knowledge, and the classification covers the majority of corporate roles. Examples include ICT professionals, software developers, physicians, pharmacists, architects, engineers, scientists, design thinkers, accountants, lawyers, editors, and academics; anyone whose job is to 'think for a living'.
Alongside the insights from our survey respondents, the report below includes recommendations for harnessing AI's benefits and cultivating a culture that provides AI equity to all employees.
If you're currently facing challenges around AI implementation in your organisation, get your favourite beverage and let's dig into the findings.
Who has the best access to AI tools and training?
Our survey uncovered that those with high incomes benefited from better AI education, tool accessibility, and job satisfaction.
Percentage of respondents receiving 20+ hours AI training by income
Over £100K
27%
£75,000 to £99,999
18%
£60,000 to £74,999
21%
£50,000 to £59,999
18%
£45,000 to £49,999
8%
£40,000 to £44,999
12%
£35,000 to £39,999
18%
£30,000 to £34,999
10%
£25,000 to £29,999
5%
£20,000 to £24,999
6%
Respondents with incomes of £100K+ were more than five times as likely to have had over 20 hours of AI training in the 12 months, compared with those on incomes of £25-29k.
Percentage of respondents with sufficient guidance on how to use AI at work
Respondents earning over £100K
84%
Survey average
68%
84% of earners bringing in £100K+ said they had sufficient guidance on AI, compared to the average of 68%.
Percentage of respondents who strongly agreed they received new AI tools regularly
Respondents earning over £100K
49%
Survey average
34%
Nearly half of respondents on six-figure incomes strongly agreed they were given new AI tools regularly, in stark contrast to the average of just over a third.
Why might this be?
Higher earners are often in senior, strategic, or highly specialised roles where the potential for AI to drive significant value is clear. Companies may prioritise these roles for upskilling and tool use, perceiving a clearer and more immediate return on investment. Furthermore, employees in well-paid positions may have greater influence to request or get new tools themselves. Their roles may be more likely to be technical in nature, making adopting newer technologies, like AI, in their day-to-day roles a more obvious priority. Many CEOs and product leaders have been vocal about nominating development and technical teams as internal testers of AI value. As an investment strategy, this has been highly visible in the media and statements issued by large organisations.
What's the impact for those on either side of this divide?
45% of these high-income earners strongly agree that their skills are developing due to AI, compared to an average of 32%. The data suggests that access to the newest AI tools is uncovering ways to sharpen their skills and let them work more efficiently and remain at the forefront of their fields.
Additionally, 69% of high earners feel comfortable proving the ROI of AI, well above the 51% average. This could be due to the higher price tag on their time, confidence instilled by training, or a more general comfort in making commercial claims that comes with seniority, but highlights a clear need to communicate and help everyone understand how to account for the gains and opportunities that AI grants them.
How people use AI varies enormously depending on a range of factors, including their role, tool availability, training, skillset, and confidence. Based on the previous findings, it should come as little surprise that half of high earners say that AI has significantly increased their job satisfaction. This contrasts with 28% of respondents on average salaries, and just 5% of those earning £15,000 - £20,000 who say the same.
To fully realise AI's benefits in the workplace, ensuring AI's transformative potential is distributed more widely, and supporting both employee development and business success, organisations should:
- Explore how to provide broader access to AI training across all income levels and roles.
- Explore how to provide tools across all income levels and roles.
- Explore standardised ways of measuring value.
What's the impact of good AI training?
If you weren't already sold on the value of increasing access to AI training for your organisation, there are more findings that might raise an eyebrow. The survey responses illustrated the following.
46%
of those with 20+ hours of training in the last 12 months saved at least 11 hours a week (1.4 work days) using AI. Of this figure, 14% saved 30+ hours (3.8 work days). 38% with under an hour's training saved just one hour or less.
29%
of workers who received 20+ hours of AI training were over four times more likely to view AI as essential, compared to just 7% of respondents with no training.
76%
with over 20 hours of AI training felt comfortable proving the return on investment of their AI tools, compared to 51% of those with an average amount of training.
Organisational attitudes and self-confidence may also still be blocking progress:
40%
of employees in mid-sized companies are afraid to ask for more AI training, compared to just 23% at micro organisations.
35%
of workers said they wanted more training, but were afraid to ask for it.
30%
of 18-24 year olds say they can't use AI at work without fear of negative repercussions, ten times the number of 65+ year olds.
These statistics underline the critical role of comprehensive AI training in growing workplace efficiency and staff confidence, leading to happier and more productive team members. There is a strong correlation between the amount of AI training employees receive and both their perception of AI's value and their ability to realise its benefits at work.
Younger workers appear more likely to think that asking about AI use may result in negative responses, suggesting possible generational differences about insecurity in their own abilities or job security.
To encourage and create psychologically safe environments for AI exploration and requests, company cultures and communication may need to evolve. Organisations wishing to get the most from AI should:
- Foster an open culture where employees feel comfortable seeking the training needed to fully harness AI technologies, irrespective of seniority or age.
- Set out clear and accessible AI training programmes.
- Promote AI tool and training access policies clearly for the entire company to empower those less confident to ask about training opportunities.
How do people feel about AI?
As with any large shift to our working world, there have been both positive and negative opinions about AI and its role. While the survey data reflected both ends of the AI favourability spectrum, it underlines some severe discrepancies based on age and seniority (reminiscent of some issues raised in last year’s Digital Etiquette: Mind the generational gap report):
Some generational differences
- 44% of 18-24 year olds agree that AI risks replacing jobs compared with just 16% of 65+.
- Just 49% of 18-24 year olds feel they can openly use AI at work without fear of negative repercussions, compared with 81% of those 65+.
And some hierarchical ones
- Just 49% of interns believe AI has increased their job satisfaction, compared to 78% of CEOs.
- Despite holding such positive sentiment about AI, just 53% of C-level executives agreed that AI use makes colleagues look more competent, compared with 45% of vice presidents and 66% of assistants.
Younger workers may occupy roles that are frequently perceived as being more susceptible to AI or AI-fuelled automation, such as entry-level positions or jobs that involve repetitive tasks. In contrast, older employees may hold roles that rely more on experience and nuanced decision-making, which are currently less easily replicated by AI. Proximity to retirement age may also be a factor in the level of concern felt by older respondents.
Those in the earlier stages of their careers also demonstrate a cautiousness around using AI openly compared to older workers. This could stem from younger employees' awareness of the evolving nature of AI and its potential to replace them, or a feeling that they need to prove their skills independently. Conversely, older workers might feel that they have already demonstrated their abilities without AI and therefore feel no threat to credibility in using it.
These findings suggest that successful AI programmes designed to foster more inclusive and confident adoption across all levels of an organisation should:
- Account for both generational and hierarchical perspectives.
- Address concerns and promote transparent communication with a cultural strategy around AI.
There's another noteworthy divide
The ongoing gender gap in the technology sector is a pressing issue that reflects broader systemic disparities in training, self-perception, and opportunities. Unfortunately, these concerns surfaced in our AI survey, too.
Depth of training
45%
of women said they had received more than five hours of training in the last 12 months, compared to 53% of men.
6%
of women have had less than an hour of AI training, whereas just 3% of men said the same.
51%
of women said they have completed a formal AI training accreditation, versus 61% of men.
External training
35%
of female administrative staff received external structured training compared with 52% of male admin workers.
58%
of women in director roles received structured training sessions on AI from external providers, compared with 73% of men in the same position.
47%
of men at intern level are more than twice as likely to have received external training, versus 23% of women.
Skill level
87%
of men at C-level received sufficient guidance on how to use AI at work, compared to 77% of women in the same role. Similarly at the administrative level, 46% of women got it, compared with 57% of men.
72%
of men believe their skills are developing because of AI, compared to a 63% of women.
34%
of men think their skills are being devalued because of AI, versus 31% of women.
Conclusion
The findings of The Adaptavist Group's 2025 Digital Etiquette survey underscore the critical need for organisations to adopt inclusive strategies in deploying AI technologies to see the efficiency and opportunity gains that are available.
While high-income earners often enjoy better access to AI tools and training, there's a pressing need to address disparities that leave lower-income employees, younger workers, and women at a disadvantage.
To unlock the full potential of AI and their workforces, organisations must move beyond simply deploying tools and instead build a deliberate strategy for inclusive adoption.
Confronting unconscious biases to achieve equitable AI access can enhance job satisfaction and productivity across all demographics, fostering a more innovative and stronger company. By investing in comprehensive AI training programs and promoting a culture of inclusion and open communication, business leaders can ensure that AI's transformative benefits are shared broadly, driving success and growth throughout the modern workplace.
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Methodology
The Adaptavist Group conducted a comprehensive survey to assess the accessibility and impact of AI tools in the workplace across various demographic groups. The survey aimed to identify disparities in AI training, tool accessibility, and perceptions among employees with different income levels, ages, seniority, and genders.
- Target population: the survey targeted a diverse range of knowledge workers* in the UK, USA, Germany, and Canada in June 2025. It included individuals across various industries and roles, ensuring representation from different income brackets, age groups, seniority levels, and genders.
- Sample size: a total of 4,000 respondents participated in the survey, providing a robust dataset for analysis.
- Sampling method: a stratified sampling approach was employed to ensure that all key demographic groups were adequately represented. This method allowed for meaningful comparisons across different segments of the workforce.