Artificial intelligence has moved to the centre of workplace transformation. What began as cautious experimentation has now become a daily routine for millions of employees. New research from Slack’s Workforce Index shows that AI adoption among desk workers has surged 50% since late 2024, with daily usage increasing by 233% in just six months.
The scale of the shift is striking. Six in ten employees worldwide are now using AI on the job, while two in five have worked with AI agents. Workers who use AI every day are reporting dramatic gains; they are 64% more productive and 81% more satisfied than colleagues who don’t. In the UK, the figures are even sharper: productivity has increased by 82% and job satisfaction has more than doubled.
From automation to capability
For years, the debate around AI has focused on automation, what jobs it might replace, and how it would affect employment. The new data shows a more complex story. Almost all respondents (96%) said AI enabled them to perform tasks they previously lacked the skills for. Instead of shrinking their scope of work, the technology is broadening it.
The top three benefits cited were eliminating the need for extensive research, improving writing and communication skills, and overcoming creative blocks. Slack’s researchers argue that this points to a shift from efficiency to capability: workers are not only getting faster but doing things they could not do before.
“The surge in AI adoption is fundamentally reshaping the workplace,” said Denise Dresser, Slack’s chief executive. “As workers embrace AI with growing trust and confidence, businesses gain a clear opportunity to unlock greater productivity and innovation, while workers grow more confident and fulfilled.”
Generational divide
The survey shows a generational pattern. Millennials (aged 28–43) are the most consistent adopters, with nearly one in three using generative AI daily, compared to one in four Gen Z employees. Millennials also outpace their younger peers in understanding how AI agents work and in utilising the tools for higher-value tasks, such as strategic writing, summarising, and ideation.
“Gen Z is using AI a lot for educational and personal projects,” said Lucas Puente, Vice President of Research at Slack. “But when it comes to the workforce, they haven’t established the same level of comfort.”
That gap may surprise companies that assumed Gen Z, the digital-native generation, would take the lead. In practice, millennials’ longer time in the workforce and their familiarity with previous waves of workplace technology give them an advantage. They are acting as informal trainers, helping both older and younger colleagues build confidence.
The trust equation
Trust in AI is not automatic. It builds with use. Workers who use AI agents daily are more than twice as likely to trust them in terms of data protection, accuracy, and decision-making than those who rarely engage with the tools. This has implications for corporate adoption strategies. Rather than relying on top-down directives, it may be peer learning and day-to-day practice that ultimately determine success.
“When it comes to workers and AI, the data shows us that seeing is believing,” Puente added. “As workers actually use and experiment with AI agents, their trust and enthusiasm grow, and we see them leveraging agents to unlock new skills and opportunities in their everyday work.”
Jenny Simmons, Salesforce’s Global Head of Enterprise Learning, underlined the role of experience. “Team members need to understand which tools they should be using, where they’re allowed to put sensitive data into the system and where they shouldn’t. The cohort that’s been in the office for a while will know the types of outputs the company is looking for and how to check that against what AI agents are doing.”
Connection, not isolation
A common fear is that AI will erode collaboration. The survey suggests the opposite. Daily AI users are 246% more likely to feel connected to colleagues and report a 62% higher sense of belonging. For Gen Z, one in three said AI had increased their engagement with teammates.
Gemma Quinn, Salesforce’s Vice President of Global University Recruiting, said the human element remains essential. “When you come out of university and into a large company, one of the first things you need to learn is why networking is so important. We set up events for new hires to meet with people across different groups, and it just evolves from there.”
Business implications
The findings highlight a significant competitive disparity. Companies that accelerate adoption and build employee trust may enjoy productivity gains that laggards will struggle to match. AI is no longer confined to executive suites: while 43% of executives report daily use, 35% of senior managers and 23% of middle managers also do so. The trend is spreading across hierarchies.
In the UK, where adoption has been particularly rapid, the gains could feed into national productivity growth, a longstanding policy challenge. Analysts suggest that if the reported 80–100 per cent boosts in satisfaction and productivity translate at scale, the effects could be material for output.
The road ahead
The Slack Index also highlights risks. Adoption is uneven, and without structured support, some workers may be left behind. There are questions about data security, accuracy, and over-reliance. Companies need governance frameworks as much as they need enthusiasm.
For now, though, the pattern is clear: AI use at work is spreading fast, millennials are leading the way, and trust grows with hands-on practice. The result is a workplace where technology is extending human capability rather than replacing it.
The real test will be whether companies can consistently capture these gains, embed them in their culture, and ensure that workers at all levels, from Gen Z graduates to senior managers, can harness AI as confidently as the millennial cohort already does.
