The AI revolution is transforming workplaces—but employees are often left to figure it out themselves. WalkMe, an SAP company and pioneer of Digital Adoption Platforms (DAP), reveals in its second annual AI in the Workplace Survey that unmanaged AI use is creating risks, wasted productivity, and missed ROI.
Shadow AI Everywhere
AI tools are flooding the enterprise, yet IT departments frequently lack oversight. According to WalkMe, 78% of employees use AI tools not provided or approved by their employer. Over half (51%) report conflicting guidance on when and how to use AI, exposing organizations to compliance and security vulnerabilities.
The Productivity Paradox
Workers believe AI can boost efficiency—80% say it improves productivity—but nearly 60% admit that figuring out AI often takes longer than completing tasks manually. Without structured training or policies, AI’s potential remains largely untapped, translating into thousands of lost work hours and millions in squandered investment.
“Beyond the productivity paradox, we’re facing a full-blown governance crisis,” said Dan Adika, CEO and Co-founder of WalkMe. “When nearly 80% of employees are using shadow AI tools, organizations are not just losing money—they’re losing control.”
AI Stigma and Cultural Confusion
Workplace culture is complicating adoption. Almost half (45%) of employees admit they’ve pretended to understand AI tools in meetings, while 49% claim to hide AI use to avoid judgment. Among Gen Z workers, 55.5% say they’ve faked AI knowledge, and 62% admit concealing their use altogether.
The Training Gap Blocks ROI
Despite daily AI use rising by 16 points since last year, only 7.5% of employees report receiving extensive AI training, and 23% say they’ve received no training at all. WalkMe’s 2025 State of Digital Adoption Report highlights the cost of this gap: companies lost an average of $104 million in 2024 due to underused tools and poor rollout.
“AI has become an essential enterprise skill,” said Gina Smith, PhD, Research Director, IT Skills for Digital Business at IDC. “Without training and guardrails, shadow AI creates risk and undermines ROI. Companies building AI-ready skills now are the ones that will lead the next era of work.”
Methodology
WalkMe’s survey, conducted by Propeller Insights from July 16–23, 2025, polled 1,000 U.S. adults using AI at work. The sample was nationally representative by age, gender, industry, company size, and seniority. Margin of error: ±3 percentage points.
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