Artificial intelligence is steadily becoming part of everyday work life in the United States. A new survey from the Pew Research Center shows that around 21% of American workers now use AI in some capacity at their jobs, up from 16% the year before. Despite this increase, most employees still have limited exposure to the technology, with about 65% saying they rarely or never use AI tools at work.
AI Adoption Growing but Still Uneven
The study, conducted in early September 2025 among more than 8,700 adults (including 5,000 who are employed), reveals that AI adoption varies across different demographics. Younger professionals and those with higher education levels are leading the charge. Among workers with at least a bachelor’s degree, AI usage has risen from 20% in 2024 to 28% in 2025. Meanwhile, those with some college education or less saw a smaller increase, moving from 13% to 16%.
Interestingly, even employees who don’t currently use AI are becoming more aware of its potential. About 36% of non-users now believe parts of their jobs could be handled by AI, compared to 31% last year. Likewise, the share of workers unaware of AI’s role in the workplace has declined from 17% to 12%. However, deep reliance on AI remains rare, only around 2% of workers say that most or all of their tasks are currently performed by AI systems, a figure unchanged from 2024.
What It Means for the Future Workforce
These results suggest a slow but steady shift in workplace dynamics. As organizations continue to explore automation, data analytics, and generative tools, the percentage of employees using AI is expected to keep growing. While many remain cautious, the technology is clearly moving from experimental to essential in certain roles signaling a new era of hybrid human–AI collaboration in the American workforce.
