The AI revolution isn’t waiting for permission.
Recent developments show that people are both open to and adopting AI at an unprecedented pace.
As of January 2025, ChatGPT serves 300 million weekly users, while Meta AI reaches nearly 600 million people monthly. Even new entrants like DeepSeek have proven they can attract over 30 million monthly users within weeks of launch.
These explosive adoption rates at the individual level raise a critical question: Are organizations moving quickly enough to take advantage of this transformation? Or will the increased adoption at the personal level pave the way for greater AI usage at work?
In this edition of ClickUp Insights, 30,000 people share how they use AI in their everyday lives, as well as the most common use cases and barriers to AI adoption at work. Their answers tell a compelling story!
⏰ 60-Second Summary
📮ClickUp Insight: Our data shows that 88% of people now use AI in some form, with an impressive 55% using it multiple times a day. However, when it comes to using AI at work, over 50% of our respondents don’t feel confident about using AI.
AI adoption is accelerating everywhere. But gaps remain, especially at work.
One possible reason: AI integration within workplace tools isn’t seamless enough.
Instead of becoming the engine that drives our work, AI remains a sidecar—bolted on but disconnected from the tools where work actually happens, like email, chat, or project workflows.
This makes AI far less powerful than it could be.
Despite the widespread availability of AI within productivity tools, such as Microsoft Copilot or Google’s Workspace AI, only 12% of our respondents say they use such integrated AI features frequently, highlighting fragmented adoption and untapped potential.
As we investigate AI usage patterns, we’ll discuss how current implementation gaps affect knowledge workers. Our data reveals three central themes:
1️⃣ Conversational AI is winning: 62% of our survey respondents prefer standalone, chat-based AI tools, while only 12% primarily use AI integrated into workplace software
2️⃣ Training and trust barriers: 27% need more training to use AI effectively, while 22% have privacy or trust concerns
3️⃣ A fragmented tool landscape extracts a ‘toggle tax’: Users juggle multiple AI applications for different tasks, adding to the context-switching costs of working across multiple platforms
Survey methodology and demographics
ClickUp Insights surveys thousands of knowledge workers and productivity enthusiasts every month to bring you the latest trends in the global workplace.
Our research delves into how professionals manage their time, navigate workplace demands, and implement productivity strategies. By analyzing responses from participants worldwide, we seek to uncover universal productivity challenges and patterns, helping organizations and individuals make more informed decisions in their daily work lives.
Summarize this article for me please4 Key Trends Shaping AI Usage in Our Workplaces
Answers from over 30,000 survey respondents uncovered four key trends that reveal—not just how they’re using AI today—but how they want it to transform their work tomorrow.
Let’s explore where AI is already making waves and where it still has some catching up to do!
Everything everywhere: the growing footprint of AI
📮 ClickUp Insight: 88% of respondents use AI in some form, with more than half (55%) engaging with AI tools multiple times daily.
The shift from “What is AI?” to “How do I use AI for X use case?” happened faster than anyone predicted.
88% of our survey respondents say they use AI in some form, which is a strong indicator of its ubiquity. This rapid adoption also represents an inflection point for knowledge workers.
Tech leaders like Satya Nadella have compared AI to other breakthrough workplace technologies, such as PCs, email, and spreadsheets.
What’s even more interesting is people’s openness to this breakthrough technology. Many are ready for the upgrade. 55% of our respondents use AI several times a day, with potential use cases ranging from content creation to brainstorming.
However, a small percentage of respondents (12%) don’t use AI at all. This could point to a group that’s either not ready to embrace it or simply doesn’t see the need yet.
Key findings
- 55% of respondents use AI tools several times during the day
- 14% engage with AI occasionally
- 12% haven’t started using AI tools yet
- 11% turn to AI tools a few times each week
- 8% rely on AI tools at least once a day
❗️Pulse check: AI adoption at the workplace hit a turning point in 2024, according to the State of AI report from McKinsey. After plateauing at 50% for over six years, adoption rates suddenly surged to 72% in early 2024, indicating that companies are bullish on accelerating their AI transformation.
All in all, AI is now indisputably mainstream. But just how fast is this adoption? To put it into perspective, let’s look at the timeline of DeepSeek’s launch.
Since going live on January 10, 2025, DeepSeek surpassed ChatGPT by January 27 to become the most downloaded free app on the U.S. iOS App Store. By the end of January 2025, DeepSeek had already reached 33.7 million monthly active users and 22.15 million daily active users worldwide.
Key takeaways
📌 The rapid adoption of AI tools shows strong mainstream acceptance. Organizations are catching on, with leaders looking to AI as the next breakthrough technology in the workplace
📌 The meteoric rise of new AI tools like DeepSeek (reaching 33.7M monthly active users within weeks) suggests that users are actively seeking and adopting AI solutions that best fit their needs
📌 With the right application of AI in the workplace, knowledge workers can potentially become orchestrators, managers, and directors of AI agents that do the work—instead of directly performing the ‘knowledge tasks’ themselves
Potential vs. adoption: AI in the workplace
📮 ClickUp Insight: We found that 62% of respondents prefer conversational AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, while only 12% regularly use AI features built into productivity tools. This could be a result of knowledge gaps, security concerns, or lack of an explicit value-add.
AI continues to make waves in the workplace, though not always in the way we might expect.
According to the Future of Jobs Report 2025, 41% of companies worldwide plan to reduce their workforce by 2030 with the help of AI-assisted workflows, and 62% are looking to recruit more people with skills to work alongside AI better.
Several business leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg, have already stated that they will heavily incorporate AI into their staffing plans going forward.
But what about the average knowledge worker? Here’s what we found!
62% of our respondents said they prefer using conversational AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude the most at work.
The familiar chatbot-like interface, natural language processing, and interactive nature of these tools likely indicate a low barrier to entry. Users may also value the back-and-forth exchange and ability to use prompt chaining, which helps them work through a variety of tasks and challenges in real time.
On the flip side, AI features built into productivity tools don’t seem to be making the same impact. Despite being embedded in familiar platforms like Microsoft Copilot and Google Workspace AI, only 12% of respondents say they use these features frequently.
This points to two possible reasons:
➡️ People are not yet fully aware of how AI can enhance their existing workflows
➡️ The current integrations aren’t seamless or comprehensive enough to become a core part of their routine
This gap in adoption may also explain why 16% of people don’t use AI regularly in their work at all. If they’re stuck switching between different tools—AI and their regular work platforms—adopting the tool may feel like more trouble than it’s worth. Not to mention security concerns about sensitive workplace data.
Key findings
- 62% of survey respondents primarily rely on conversational AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude at work
- 16% have yet to incorporate AI tools into their regular workflow
- 12% mostly use AI features embedded in productivity tools, such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Workspace AI
- 6% favor automated AI assistants, including AutoGPT and AgentGPT
- 4% mainly interact with voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant
Key takeaways
📌 Users prefer conversational AI tools that are flexible enough to perform many types of tasks rather than narrowed-down, niche AI features locked inside specific tools
📌 AI tools need two essential elements to drive adoption: exceptional user experience and instant (visible) value for every interaction
📌 The low adoption rate of built-in AI features in productivity tools (12%) suggests that the technology may not be seamlessly integrated into the core capabilities of these platforms
The use case gap: how we’re using AI vs. what we really want
📮ClickUp Insight: While 67% of users primarily use AI for tasks like content creation (37%) and research (30%), 33% of our survey respondents want AI to help them with more advanced use cases like skill development.
It’s honestly a little surprising how much AI could do, but isn’t always being asked to.
Based on our findings, 37% of people are turning to AI for content creation—writing, editing, and emails. Another 30% rely on it for research and information gathering.
Key findings
- 37% use AI mainly for content creation, from writing and editing to crafting emails
- 30% rely on AI for research and gathering information
- 11% turn to AI primarily for brainstorming and generating new ideas
- 7% use AI to streamline task management and stay organized
- 15% haven’t yet integrated AI tools into their workflow
These are great use cases, but when we look at what people want AI to do, it’s clear they’re hoping for more.
For instance, 33% of our survey respondents want AI to help them grow their skills, and 21% want it to help them with meetings, emails, and projects. Needs that are evidently not being met.
Key findings
- 33% think that AI can help them grow their skills (learning, practicing, improving)
- 21% believe AI can help them crush it at work (meetings, emails, projects)
- 18% think AI can help them keep their life organized (calendar, tasks, reminders)
- 15% want AI to help them take care of the small things (routine tasks, admin work)
- 13% look to AI to help them tackle the tough stuff (decisions, problem-solving)
A connected AI, which has access to the data, workflows, and necessary automation features, is the ideal way to cater to all of these use cases.
For instance, to appease the 18% of individuals who wish AI could help them stay organized by managing tasks, reminders, and schedules, you’d typically need several apps, including a calendar app, a task management app, and an AI integration. A single, multi-purpose AI tool could bridge that gap.
This brings us back to the current state of AI. It remains fragmented despite evidence suggesting that AI tools must be deeply integrated into project management, knowledge management, and communication to deliver value in the workplace.
Here, we see evidence of another yawning gap between businesses and users. 👇
❗️Pulse check: According to PwC’s October 2024 Pulse Survey, 49% of technology leaders claim that AI is fully integrated into their core strategy, with one-third saying that the technology is fully integrated into their products and services.
So why aren’t users biting? The answer may lie in a chronic lack of context.
At present, most AI tools lack the data/context/connectivity they need to integrate themselves into users’ work lives and drive real improvements across multiple interconnected use cases.
This happens because companies often bundle AI features into products instead of truly integrating them into workflows. The result? Disconnected experiences that require users to manually bridge contextual gaps instead of leveraging AI that understands their entire process.
For example, an AI meeting assistant that simply transcribes conversations but doesn’t connect to project management tools, prior discussions, or upcoming deadlines remains a feature rather than a workflow solution.
Here’s what Jeff Dean, Google’s Chief Scientist, says about context:
Key takeaways
📌 Users want AI to be more deeply integrated into their professional development and daily workflows, with around 50% seeking AI assistance for core work activities like meetings and project management as well as professional development
📌 Most AI tools excel at isolated tasks but lack the contextual awareness and interconnectedness necessary to truly deliver value at work. This fragmented approach hinders their ability to provide comprehensive, holistic support for complex use cases
📌 Companies frequently fall into the trap of bundling AI features into their products without meaningfully connecting them to existing workflows, creating more contextual gaps in the process
Barriers decoded: what’s keeping people away from AI?
📮ClickUp Insight: Among the 88% of respondents who use AI, only 34% of users trust AI completely, while 27% need more training, and 23% don’t know where to start.
A common thread across our AI survey responses? Between 8% and 18% of respondents say that they don’t use AI regularly or actively avoid it.
So, what’s keeping these users away from AI despite its near-ubiquity?
First, a large portion of people—23%—aren’t sure where to start with AI. Users may find it overwhelming to navigate the sheer number of AI-powered tools available in the market or might wonder about the value these tools bring to existing workflows.
Then, there are the 27% who say they need more training to use AI effectively. In this scenario, people can see the potential, but they feel that they don’t quite know how to use AI to its full advantage.
Key findings
- 28% are already using AI regularly
- 27% need more training for advanced use
- 23% aren’t sure where to start
- 11% worry about privacy
- 11% don’t fully trust AI
And let’s not forget about trust—both in terms of security and accuracy. 11% are worried about privacy, and another 11% don’t fully trust AI yet.
On the other hand, 38% are open to using AI but prefer to double-check its work. It’s clear that for some, this caution stems from a lack of confidence in AI’s accuracy or reliability.
Key findings
- 38% are open to AI but double-check its work
- 34% trust AI and use it confidently
- 15% are still exploring when AI can be most helpful
- 8% prefer to avoid using AI when possible
- 5% choose to handle most tasks themselves
❗️Pulse check: The Make it Fair campaign, driven by the UK’s creative industries, further highlights the need for double-checking AI-generated output. Designed to address the issue of generative AI models using copyrighted material without permission or fair compensation, the initiative aims to protect creators’ rights via enhanced copyright laws and robust policies.
So, for the folks still hesitant to fully embrace AI, many of the barriers seem to boil down to three main factors: uncertainty about where to start, a lack of training, and concerns about privacy and trust.
These findings also suggest that people are not fundamentally opposed to AI—they just need a little more support and reassurance before it can become a regular part of their routine.
Key takeaways
📌 The high percentage of users who double-check AI-generated output (38%) suggests a need for better accuracy validation tools and transparency in how AI makes decisions
📌 A significant knowledge gap exists, as nearly half of users report needing AI training (27%) or feeling unsure how to begin (23%). This highlights an urgent need for structured AI onboarding and educational resources
📌 Privacy and trust concerns surrounding AI tools (22%) can be dispelled by putting better security measures and reliability metrics in place
Summarize this article for me pleaseOur 4 Strategic Recommendations
Fact check: Our survey reveals that 12% of respondents never use AI tools, 11% don’t fully trust AI, another 11% are concerned about privacy, and 15% are still figuring out when to use AI. Meanwhile, only 12% primarily use AI integrated into workplace software, highlighting a significant gap between personal and organizational adoption.
Despite widespread personal AI adoption, organizations face significant barriers to implementing AI effectively, creating a growing disconnect between personal adoption and organizational readiness.
The key challenges we’ve uncovered from the data include fragmented tool adoption, insufficient training, trust barriers, and limited or ineffective workplace integration.
To bridge this gap, organizations need to match people’s willingness to embrace AI with a clear plan for bringing it into the workplace. Here are four strategic recommendations to accelerate your organization’s AI transformation:
✅ Unify the AI toolkit
Instead of letting employees create personal workarounds, develop a consolidated AI infrastructure that integrates with existing workflows. Look for solutions that combine the conversational interface users prefer (62% preference) with robust workplace tool integration. For example, simplify knowledge management with a chat-based AI interface that instantly pulls up information from anywhere in your workspace.
✅ Build an AI-ready workforce
Address the training gap, highlighted by 27% of people, via a comprehensive AI literacy program. Focus on practical use cases, safety protocols, and best practices for AI tool selection. Create “AI champions” within teams to accelerate peer learning and adoption.
✅ Establish trust through transparency
Combat the trust deficit by developing clear AI governance frameworks. Implement data handling policies, establish usage guidelines, and create feedback loops for continuous improvement. Show your employees exactly how AI tools handle sensitive information and which tools are approved for use at work.
✅ Make AI your workflow’s foundation
Make AI a foundational element at work. Start with your most important workflows and reimagine them with AI at their core. The key is making AI feel less like a separate tool and more like the invisible force that keeps work moving. It should be quietly running your projects in the background, connecting your tools, and moving work forward 24/7.
Summarize this article for me pleaseHow Can ClickUp Help?
The promise of AI often falls short in the workplace.
Traditional work tools leave AI capabilities as an afterthought, making them feel bolted-on and disconnected.
The result? Teams now struggle with fragmented AI features that don’t understand the context of the work, leading to generic outputs and wasted time tweaking prompts.
As the everything app for work, ClickUp brings intelligent assistance to every corner of your workspace with a contextually aware AI. Here are four ways ClickUp’s AI transforms your work:
🏁 Conversational AI that knows your context
ClickUp Brain combines the familiar chat interface people love with deep workspace awareness. Whether you want to brainstorm, problem-solve, or analyze data, ClickUp Brain can help with a wide variety of use cases right from your workspace.
Best part? It already knows what you’re working on, too! So, you get context-specific answers that are highly relevant to the task you’re working on. Say goodbye to context-switching between standalone AI tools and work platforms.
“At ClickUp, our mission has always been to save people time. AI tools are everywhere, but none are saving you time through every step of your work day. ClickUp Brain is deeply embedded in the place you do work; it bridges the gaps and connects the dots across your work, your communication, and your knowledge. ClickUp Brain is here to save you time and eliminate work about work.”
🏁 A unified AI experience
ClickUp eliminates fragmented AI tools by integrating intelligence throughout your workflow.
Whether you’re writing on ClickUp Docs, managing action items on ClickUp Tasks, or chatting with your coworkers on ClickUp Chat, you have consistent AI assistance that understands your entire workspace. Ask AI questions from your home page, tasks, docs, chat, whiteboards, or any other space you can think of! With ClickUp, AI is everywhere, even in your Custom Fields.
🏁 AI-powered search
ClickUp’s AI-driven Connected Search acts as the connected brain of your organization. Simply enter the keyword to instantly find any information across your entire workspace and connected apps, or run powerful commands to take action.
The AI understands natural language searches and commands, making it a powerful hub connecting information discovery with instant action.
🏁 AI built for everyone
ClickUp makes AI adoption natural and intuitive.
With AI already integrated into familiar chat-based interfaces and commonly used features like Docs, teams can start small and expand usage as they get comfortable. Ask ClickUp Brain to execute complex workflow automation using plain language and get more done faster. ClickUp makes it easy for everyone to use AI effectively!
Summarize this article for me pleaseNext Steps
Ready to unlock the full potential of AI at your workplace? Join over 3 million teams that use ClickUp to boost their productivity. Sign up for free today.
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