Findings show AI’s fast entrenchment in modern work, yet employees are not receiving guidance and training that align with usage encouragement
SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., a leader in workforce agility solutions, today announced the findings of a study around workplace AI behaviors, usage and disclosure. The key findings show that while AI has quickly become an integral part of modern work (80% of U.S. and U.K. workers respectively use AI) its usage is primarily happening in silence.
Most workers do not want to disclose their use of AI: 57% of U.S. and 81% of U.K. workers are reluctant to tell their manager or colleagues, and only 54% of U.S. workers talk about using AI to senior colleagues. However, the AI silence is not due to embarrassment, shame or fear of job loss. Seventy-six percent of U.S. workers and 38% of U.K. workers never feel embarrassed about using AI at work. Both regions feel some degree of organizational encouragement or support, as 64% of U.S. employees are largely encouraged to use AI at work, along with 62% of U.K. employees.
Instead, the data points to a widespread lack of training and guidance as a primary barrier to disclosure. Only 44% of U.S. employees have received AI training and tools, with just 16% receiving training often, and 51% of U.K. employees have never or rarely received training. Employees are looking to their organizations for more direction: 65% of U.S. workers want training to build AI skills and confidence, and 65% of U.K. workers want AI training.
“Both organizations and individuals are eager to capitalize on the efficiencies that AI can offer, however, heavy investment in AI tools alone are not the answer, as training and governance systems are critical to success,” said Mike Bollinger, VP of Strategic Initiatives at Cornerstone. “This survey validates employees’ desires for training, particularly on AI, but shows significant discrepancies on who is receiving it and the key alignments that need to take place across an organization.”
Additional key findings from the study;
- On average roughly 73% of AI users say they don’t always disclose their use to managers or colleagues.
- Only 33% of employees say they are often or always encouraged to use AI at work.
- In the UK, 51% have never or rarely received AI training or tools; only 8% always receive them. In the US, of those who are encouraged to use AI at work, 33% do not receive training to support their usage.
- The UK pay gap in training support: 16% of those earning £15,000 or less always/often receive AI training, vs 47% of those earning £55,001+.
For more information on Cornerstone Galaxy and how Cornerstone helps organizations upskill workers on AI, check out: https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/platform/
About the Study
The U.S. survey was conducted via Dynata and polled 1,000 general U.S.-based consumers over 18 years of age in October 2025. Respondents were segmented by employment status and analyzed across age groups, gender, marital status, having children and household income. The U.K. research was conducted by Censuswide, targeting a sample of 2,000 U.K. employees in October 2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council. For complete survey methodology, please email [email protected].
About Cornerstone
Cornerstone powers the potential of organizations and their people to thrive in a changing world. Cornerstone Galaxy, the complete AI-powered workforce agility platform, meets organizations where they are. With Galaxy, organizations can identify skills gaps and development opportunities, retain and engage top talent, and provide multimodal learning experiences to meet the diverse needs of the modern workforce. Approximately 7,000 organizations and 140 million users in 180+ countries use Cornerstone Galaxy to build high-performing, future-ready organizations and people today.
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