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It’s no secret that AI is changing the way people work. What is hidden, from many managers at least, is just how many employees are turning to AI to get their work done.
A June 2025 survey from the HR software firm Gusto found that almost half of U.S. workers have used AI to complete work tasks but haven’t informed their bosses about it, according to a survey.
Gen Z employees are the biggest stealth AI users, followed closely by those in the tech industry.
Key Takeaways
- A survey of U.S. workers found that almost half have used AI at work but have not informed their bosses about it.
- Gen Z employees and tech workers are among the most secretive AI users, according to the survey.
- Two-thirds of survey respondents said they’re personally paying for AI tools at work.
The silent adoption of AI in the workplace has created what the Gusto report calls a “shadow economy of productivity gains” that companies aren’t necessarily accounting for. “Workers are taking initiative and figuring it out as they go, fundamentally reshaping how work gets done in America,” the report said.
These workers also often shoulder the financial cost themselves. Two-thirds of survey respondents said they’re personally paying for AI tools at work.
AI in the Workplace Is ‘Disruptive, Not Dystopian’
Joe Davis, global chief economist at the investment firm Vanguard, argued in a company report that the vast majority of workers will see their work augmented by AI rather than replaced by it, shifting workers’ time to “uniquely human tasks.”
Davis compared AI to the advent of the personal computer, which “didn’t eliminate jobs as much as it allowed people to focus on higher-value activities.”
“We’re saying that we see AI as disruptive, not dystopian,” he added.
But Vanguard’s analysis isn’t rosy for workers either. While AI could lead to job losses in up to 20% of occupations, Vanguard expects it to automate about 25% of current working hours across the 800 occupations reviewed. By 2035, this could free up the equivalent of one day of work per week.
Note
In a McKinsey survey, employees were three times more likely than executives to say that workers are using generative AI for more than 30% of their daily tasks.
The Bottom Line
The AI revolution in the workplace is happening with or without management approval. Nearly half of U.S. workers are already using AI tools to complete their jobs, often paying for these tools themselves and keeping their use a secret from supervisors. This underground adoption could represent part of a fundamental shift in how work gets done.
