BambooHR, the easiest-to-use people platform for HR, payroll, and benefits, has released a new workplace report, Clarity Over Chaos: Embracing AI for Adaptability and Value. The findings reveal a growing gap in AI adoption between senior leadership and frontline staff: while 72% of C-suite and VP executives use AI daily, just 18% of individual contributors do the same.  

With 77% of companies allowing AI but only 32% providing training, BambooHR is witnessing the birth of a new digital divide that’s reshaping workplace power dynamics and exacerbating gender gaps in corporate America.  

“Leaders need to develop clear and comprehensive AI policies that not only outline what’s acceptable but also address the elephant in the room—the fear that using AI is somehow ‘cheating,’” says Alan Whitaker, head of AI at BambooHR. “When we communicate these policies clearly and transparently to all employees, we can help alleviate concerns, promote a culture of openness, and empower our teams to harness the full potential of AI.”  

AI usage isn’t generational—it’s hierarchical. Organizations that say they promote AI adoption are the same ones failing to train individual contributors, creating this invisible efficiency gap.  

• Half (50%) of managers and more senior titles receive training compared to nearly one in four (23%) individual contributors.  
• Men (60%) report using AI daily compared to 40% of women, raising questions about the potential barriers to or concerns around adoption for women.  
• Although 72% of employees express a desire to improve their AI skills, only 32% of employees have received formal AI training from their employer.  
• Compared to individual contributors, more than twice as many executives are creating efficiencies using AI to draft emails, create presentations, and more.  

The report shows employees seem to view using AI as cheating, despite AI use being widely permitted. Nearly a quarter (23%) of individual contributors are evasive about when they’ve used AI, compared to just 6% of executives. Less than a third of people (30%) can accurately detect AI-written content. Over half (61%) of executives value employees who use AI more, compared to only 13% of individual contributors. Most (80%) executives rate AI-assisted work as high quality compared to 69% of managers and 28% of individual contributors.  

“AI training isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have for organizations that want to stay ahead,” says Brian Crofts, chief product officer at BambooHR. “It’s not just about using tools, it’s about empowering every employee to think strategically about how AI can drive results and improve work life.”