Daily AI usage has surged by 233%, with 60% of desk workers now incorporating AI and 40% utilizing AI agents, according to Slack’s latest Workforce Index. This new research also reveals an even more impactful insight: How people are using AI and its significant influence on creativity, collaboration, and job satisfaction.
Lucas Puente, Head of Research at Slack who led this study, offers insights into several critical aspects of AI adoption. He discusses how AI is fueling a “virtuous cycle” of productivity and trust, what sets daily AI users (known as power users) apart, and the ways AI is reshaping how people learn, lead, and thrive professionally.
Q: What’s behind the massive surge in AI use at work — and how are workers benefiting?
We’re seeing a real inflection point. The fact that overall usage has jumped 50% since November 2024, and daily use has more than doubled, tells us this isn’t just hype or experimentation — it’s behavior change. AI is moving from the sidelines into people’s everyday workflows.
And that’s where the real benefits emerge. Sure, AI still helps automate repetitive tasks, but more and more people are using the technology to unlock creativity, accelerate decision-making, and stretch into new types of work. We’re seeing folks doing things that used to take hours — like building presentations, analyzing complex data, brainstorming content — now done in minutes with AI as a creative partner.
Q: Why is daily AI usage so much more powerful than just dabbling?
Power users are seeing the biggest lift. Those using AI daily are 64% more likely to say they’re productive and 58% more likely to feel focused. Even more telling? They say they’re less burned out and more satisfied overall.
Consistent use unlocks exponential gains. You’re not just saving time — you’re reallocating it. That means more bandwidth for deep work, collaboration, and strategic thinking. And when AI becomes part of your everyday workflow, those benefits compound fast.
For daily users, AI isn’t just improving efficiency — it’s creating a better experience at work.
Consistent use unlocks exponential gains. You’re not just saving time — you’re reallocating it. That means more bandwidth for deep work, collaboration, and strategic thinking.
Q: Slack’s data show that the more people use AI, the more they trust it. What’s driving that flywheel effect?
As people use AI more frequently, they learn to leverage its strengths. That clarity leads to better results and builds user confidence. When you set AI up for success — just like a human teammate — it performs better, saving time and increasing productivity. This creates a powerful trust-usage flywheel: Greater trust inspires more sophisticated use, which in turn delivers real business impact.
For daily users, AI isn’t just improving efficiency — it’s creating a better experience at work
Q: Let’s talk about who’s leading this shift. Your research shows millennials outpacing Gen Z in AI adoption. Why is that?
While Gen Z is often seen as the “AI native” generation, it’s millennials who are using AI the most at work. They’re more likely to hold senior roles, and our research shows a clear correlation between seniority and AI usage. The higher up you are, the more likely you are to use AI to drive impact. They’re also hearing from leadership that AI is a priority, and they’re running with it.
Gen Z, on the other hand, tends to use AI more in personal projects. At work, they’re still early in their careers, and many are waiting for permission to use the technology. They want clear guardrails around what’s okay. That’s an opportunity for companies to step up: Give younger employees the right tools, connect those tools to real workflows and data, and make expectations around AI usage explicit. Doing so not only empowers Gen Z to contribute more confidently and creatively, but also helps shape a future-ready workforce that sees AI as a natural extension of their capabilities.
Q: What can companies do to move from pilot to true AI adoption?
Encourage AI use as opposed to just permitting it. When workers are encouraged to use AI, they’re more than 200% more likely to become daily users. And that matters, because as we’ve shared, daily use is where the real benefits emerge.
The other key is embedding AI directly into the tools people already use every day. If AI is off to the side in some separate app, it’s not going to drive behavior change. But if it’s right there in your workflow — like inside Slack, where you’re already communicating, planning, and building — AI becomes a natural part of how work gets done. And once it’s part of the daily rhythm, that’s when you see the flywheel kick in: more trust, more productivity, more fulfillment — and ultimately, a workforce that’s not just using AI, but thriving because of it.
Go deeper:
- Read more on the Slack research
- See how Salesforce is using Agentforce within the company
- Discover how digital labor will reshape the enterprise
- Learn what are AI agents?
- Find out how Agentforce is inventing the future of agents
- Learn how Salesforce sellers are using Agentforce to speed up deal cycles
- Read how 500,000 Agentforce conversations revealed AI’s power to drive empathy and efficiency
