Despite the rapid development of generative AI and the high level of public interest, the use of AI in the day-to-day work of many employees is not yet the norm. This is the finding of the third wave of the Konstanz AI study , for which a total of 1,105 employees were surveyed in May 2026. The proportion of employees who use AI in their work rose only slightly from 35 to 38 percent compared with the previous year.
The data also show that the adoption of AI is frequently driven by employees rather than being strategically managed by organizations. Only 55 percent of AI users report that the AI tool they use most frequently was officially introduced by their employer. Many employees are thus acquiring hands-on experience with AI on their own initiative, while companies are often still catching up in terms of governance, secure infrastructure and workforce training.
"In many organizations, the major AI revolution has not unfolded as a planned transformation process so far", explains Florian Kunze, head of the study and professor of organizational behavior at the University of Konstanz. "Instead, many employees are experimenting with AI, while employers are still lagging behind when it comes to establishing clear policies, providing training and implementing secure AI solutions".
Usage gap between occupational groups
Disparities between different occupational groups continue to persist. In office and knowledge-based work, 49 percent of employees now use AI. Among employees in production-related and manual occupations, by contrast, the figure is only 25 percent. Despite year-on-year growth in both groups, the divide remains largely unchanged. This is likely due, at least in part, to the differing scope for AI applications in the respective fields of work.
Differences by educational attainment also remain pronounced. While 56 percent of employees with a high level of education use AI in their work, the figure is only 21 percent among employees with lower educational attainment. Employees with higher levels of education also express more positive expectations regarding the technology and speak more open about its adoption.
Organizational size, too, plays a role. Small organizations are significantly less likely to offer AI training, establish formal guidelines for AI use or provide company-owned AI tools. For example, only 11 percent of employees in small organizations report having received AI training, and just 10 percent report having binding rules on the use of AI. In larger organizations, such support structures are much more common.
"The findings show that the AI transformation is unfolding unevenly across society", explains Elena Gerdiken, a doctoral researcher at the Future of Work Lab in Konstanz. "Employees in knowledge-intensive occupations, those with higher levels of education and those working in larger organizations are currently benefiting most from the new opportunities and advancement potential that AI offers. Without targeted support measures, there is a risk that existing inequalities will become further entrenched."
Concerned for the labour market, but not for one's own job
The study also reveals a striking difference between societal and personal perceptions of risk. 40 percent of employees expect AI and automation to have an overall negative impact on the labour market over the next ten years. By contrast, only 17 percent are worried about losing their own jobs.
From the perspective of many employees, concrete organizational changes resulting from AI remain limited. Only 12 percent of respondents think that AI has reduced the number of entry-level positions, and just 23 percent perceive AI as already making a significant contribution to their organization's value creation.
"Many employees view AI primarily as a future societal issue rather than as an immediate threat to their own work", says Carolina Opitz, a doctoral researcher at the Future of Work Lab Konstanz. "Both the risks and the economic potential associated with the technology are currently perceived more strongly at the societal level than in employees' everyday working lives".
The researchers recommend communicating AI initiatives in companies more clearly and actively guiding employees as they adapt to these new technologies. Key measures include establishing clear rules for the secure use of AI, expanding job-related training opportunities, providing targeted support for small and medium-sized enterprises as well as developing AI solutions suited to a wide range of occupations.
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