Artificial intelligence may be transforming modern work, but if you ask employees how often they use it, most will give you a polite smile and change the subject. According to a new study from Cornerstone OnDemand, AI adoption is surging—80% of workers in both the U.S. and U.K. now rely on AI tools—yet disclosure remains remarkably scarce. The result is something of a corporate open secret: AI is powering workflows in nearly every department, but organizations are largely blind to how, where, or why.
Cornerstone’s latest research unveils a workplace dynamic that’s quietly reshaping productivity—AI isn’t taboo, it’s simply unsupervised. And the reason isn’t shame, fear, or an underground ChatGPT fan club. It’s a training gap that’s growing faster than AI’s proliferation.
AI Use Is High—But Employees Prefer to Stay Quiet
The standout finding: workers are using AI, but they’re not talking about it.
-
57% of U.S. employees and 81% of U.K. employees are reluctant to disclose AI usage to managers or coworkers.
-
Roughly 73% of global AI users say they “don’t always” disclose their use at all.
-
Just 54% of U.S. employees feel comfortable discussing AI usage with senior colleagues.
If you’re picturing anxious employees fearing replacement by an algorithm, think again. Cornerstone’s data shows the silence isn’t driven by fear:
-
76% of U.S. workers and 38% of U.K. workers say they never feel embarrassed using AI.
-
A majority even feel their organizations are supportive: 64% in the U.S., 62% in the U.K.
Employees aren’t hiding AI—they’re navigating it without a map.
The Real Problem: No One Taught Workers How to Use AI
Cornerstone’s findings point to a widespread training and governance desert. AI may be ubiquitous, but understanding how to use it responsibly and confidently? Not so much.
In the U.S.:
-
Only 44% have received any form of AI training.
-
Just 16% receive training often.
-
Among those encouraged to use AI, 33% still lack training, creating a disconnect between corporate messaging and actual readiness.
In the U.K.:
-
51% rarely or never receive AI training or tools.
-
Only 8% say training is consistent.
-
Workers across pay levels show a stark divide in training support: 47% of employees earning £55,001+ receive AI training often vs. 16% of workers earning £15,000 or less.
The result is a workforce using AI by necessity, not by design—similar to the early Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) era, when employees adopted powerful technologies well before companies developed policies to manage them.
“The message is clear,” said Mike Bollinger, VP of Strategic Initiatives at Cornerstone. “Organizations want the efficiencies AI can unlock, but investment in tools means little without the training and governance to support them.”
AI’s Productivity Potential Is Colliding with Organizational Reality
The study’s implications are more significant than a simple training gap. AI’s silent spread is already shaping culture, workflows, productivity expectations, and even internal trust.
1. AI Is Creating “Invisible Workflows”
Employees use AI to get work done faster—but managers can’t optimize or support what they can’t see.
2. Organizational AI anxiety is shifting from “replacement fear” to “governance fear”
Surprisingly, workers don’t fear losing their jobs to AI. Instead, leaders worry about risk exposure, inconsistent workflows, and uneven skill development.
3. The skills gap is widening by pay level
Cornerstone’s data exposes a structural risk: AI may deepen inequality in access to learning and career mobility. Higher earners get AI training; lower earners are left to wing it.
4. Encouragement without guidance creates liability
With only 33% of employees saying they are often encouraged to use AI—and half receiving no training—organizations are unintentionally creating shadow systems and compliance headaches.
The New Workforce Mandate: Don’t Just Deploy AI—Coach It
Cornerstone’s report lands at a critical moment: AI is advancing faster than organizational capability. And while companies have spent the past 18 months racing to adopt AI tools, they’ve spent far less time teaching their workforce how to use them.
If AI is the new productivity engine, training is the new fuel. And without it, companies risk creating an AI-enabled workforce that operates in silos, improvises its own rules, and ultimately undercuts the very efficiency organizations are chasing.
Cornerstone’s research seems to echo a larger industry trend: in 2025, corporate AI strategy is no longer about access—it’s about competence, governance, and shared understanding.
The next frontier isn’t AI adoption. It’s AI literacy.
Join thousands of HR leaders who rely on HRTechEdge for the latest in workforce technology, AI-driven HR solutions, and strategic insights
Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure. Public relations, investor relations, public policy and marketing professionals rely on Business Wire for secure and accurate distribution of market-moving news and multimedia. Founded in 1961, Business Wire is a trusted source for news organizations, journalists, investment professionals and regulatory authorities, delivering news directly into editorial systems and leading online news sources via its multi-patented NX network. Business Wire’s global newsrooms are available to meet the needs of communications professionals and news media worldwide.
