of employees say their companies have no published guidelines for AI use.
of workers do not have a very clear understanding of how to integrate AI into their workflows.
Chapter 2
Agents will outperform general-purpose chatbots and copilots
Companies must invest in a digital labor platform that reduces the learning curve for employees who have been slow to adopt AI.
Our research shows that general-purpose AI tools such as chatbots and copilots have largely underwhelmed in both usage and impact. Early AI adopters’ engagement has slowed; meanwhile, late adopters aren’t getting the support they need to successfully use the technology, and they are still determining how much they can trust it. Challenges such as insufficient education and training, privacy and security concerns, and unclear norms around AI use have put the brakes on faster adoption. These factors are holding back many companies from getting the most value out of the technology. But businesses have an opportunity to proactively address these challenges and empower their employees to experiment with specialized, accountable, trustworthy, and collaborative AI agents.
The gap is widening between early AI adopters and their competitors.
AI adoption rates span a wide range by country, from above 60% in India to only 27% in Japan.
In the six countries we’ve consistently surveyed over time, AI usage has increased substantially, from 20% in September 2023 to 36% in October 2024, representing 80% growth. However, leaders need to be aware that there are signs of a global slowdown, with declining growth in usage during the second half of 2024.
AI Adoption Rates
50 %
40 %
30 %
20 %
10 %
0 %
Australia
France
Germany
Japan
United Kingdom
United States
Australia
Global topline
0 94
% of executives are planning investment in AI over the next 12 months.
How to gain a competitive
advantage with agents:
1
Prioritize specialized agents over general-purpose AI tools.
Autonomous agents focused on specific tasks offer clear, practical applications that address the ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding general AI, leading to higher adoption rates and tangible productivity gains.
2
Develop clear guidelines and policies for using AI at work.
Clear direction and boundaries will reduce employees’ uncertainty and encourage them to use AI responsibly. Include policies on data privacy, ethical considerations, and appropriate tool selection.
3
Empower employees to become managers of agent teams.
Integrate AI agents into team structures, so workers can manage and collaborate with their AI counterparts. This fosters a sense of ownership and encourages employees to embrace AI as a valuable team resource.
You don’t get to take your hand off the steering wheel here. I like to think of AI like those exoskeleton suits warehouse workers wear so they can lift really heavy stuff. It gives them superpowers, but they’re still driving it, and they’re responsible for what happens.
SVP of Professional Services &
Chief AI Strategist
Plative
Chief AI Strategist
Plative
Early adopters of autonomous agents will not only benefit from productivity gains but will also have an advantage when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent.
AI for Human Capital Leader
Deloitte
Deloitte
We had this question: Do we give everyone one tool or do we want to give people some choice? We want them to recognize that there are different tools for different jobs and also to recognize that this industry is so new and evolving that we didn’t want to lock into one vendor or one tool.
Senior System Engineer
Canva
Canva