Many employees report that AI is improving their productivity, but its impact across organizations remains uneven. Gallup’s data show that reported workplace productivity gains are stronger when employees use AI in more ways, when the technology fits well into existing systems and when managers actively support its use. This page examines where AI adoption is strongest, how it is changing work and what leaders can do to help employees use AI more effectively.
What Gallup's Data Show About AI and Productivity
The benefits of workplace AI use appear to be concentrated at the level of individual tasks rather than in broader workplace systems. In May 2026, 65% of employees working in organizations that have implemented AI said it has had a positive effect on their productivity and efficiency.
In May 2026, Gallup found that employees who use AI across more work purposes are more likely to report positive effects on their productivity.
How Does AI Use Relate to Reported Productivity Gains?
Among U.S. employees who use AI at work, those who use it for a wider range of work purposes are more likely to say AI improves their productivity. In Gallup’s 2026 AI survey findings, the share reporting a positive productivity effect was:
- 45% among employees using AI for one or two work purposes
- 66% among those using it for three or four purposes
- 78% among those using it for five or six purposes
- 90% among those using it for seven or more purposes
Productivity perceptions also vary by application. Among employees using AI for coding assistance or automation, 77% say it has a positive effect on their productivity. The same is true for presentation or slide deck creation (76%) and for data science or analytics (75%), compared with 68% among those using AI for writing and editing and 65% using it for search or research.
Who Reports the Strongest Gains
Leaders report the strongest AI productivity gains: 21% say the impact has been extremely positive, compared with 13% of individual contributors. Frequent AI use has risen sharply across job levels since 2023, particularly among leaders. As of Q2 2026, Gallup data show that 51% of leaders use AI frequently, up from 17% in 2023, compared with an increase from 15% to 36% among managers and from 9% to 26% among individual contributors.
The gap between leaders and individual contributors in both use and perceived impact has widened over time.
See Global Indicator: Artificial Intelligence for the latest tracking data.
The Role of Managers in AI Adoption
Manager support is one of the two conditions most strongly associated with frequent AI use, alongside AI workflow integration. Yet in 2026, only 36% of employees in AI-integrating organizations strongly agree that their manager actively supports their team’s use of AI.
How Manager Support Relates to AI Use
The difference in AI use between employees whose managers actively support AI and those whose managers don't is substantial. Among employees in AI-adopting organizations:
- Employees who strongly agree that their manager supports AI use: 78% use AI frequently
- Employees who do not strongly agree: 44% use AI frequently
The relationship extends beyond frequency of use. Employees who strongly agree that their manager actively supports AI use are 9.3 times as likely to strongly agree that AI has transformed how work gets done in their organization and 7.8 times as likely to strongly agree that AI gives them more opportunities to do what they do best every day.
See Gallup’s global indicator on artificial intelligence for full tracking data.
What Effective Manager Support Looks Like
Effective manager support brings AI strategy to the level of employees’ actual work. In 2025, Gallup identified championing AI use at the team level as one of four best practices associated with higher AI usage and stronger evaluations of its benefits.
Because managers work closely with employees day to day, they can translate organizational direction into practical guidance about where AI fits and how it can be applied to employees’ work.
For managers, that includes:
- actively supporting AI use at the team level
- modeling AI use
- answering employees’ questions
- showing how AI connects to employees’ daily work
Frequently Asked Questions About AI and Workplace Productivity
How does AI impact workplace productivity?
Many employees report that AI improves their productivity, but broader changes in how organizations work remain less common. Gallup’s data show that perceptions of productivity tend to be stronger when employees use AI across more types of work and in organizations where AI is integrated into workflows and managers support employees’ use of AI.
What does Gallup's research say about AI in the workplace?
Gallup finds that stronger AI adoption is associated with clear direction and practical support. Integration with existing systems, manager support, a clear strategy, role-specific training and responsible-use guidelines are all associated with higher AI use or stronger evaluations of its benefits.
Why is manager support critical for AI productivity?
Manager support is strongly associated with more frequent AI use and stronger perceptions of AI’s value. Managers can help employees understand where AI fits into their work, model its use and translate organizational strategy into practical guidance.
What helps employees get more value from AI at work?
Employees are more likely to use and value AI when organizations provide clear direction and practical support. This includes manager involvement, relevant training and clear guidance for responsible use.
Strengthen AI Productivity Across Your Organization
Turning AI access into productive use requires clear direction, manager support and practical guidance. Gallup helps leaders strengthen the management practices and organizational factors that help employees apply AI effectively in their work.
Contact us to learn how we can help.