Use AI? Depends on Where You Work

In recent years, it’s been no secret that AI has transformed the workplace, in some cases completely changing how workers spend their day. But it turns out that workers in the office aren’t necessarily the ones being transformed the most.

In yet another shocking twist in today’s AI world, only 16% of employees who spend all their time at the office are using generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, for work, versus 32% of those who work entirely remotely. That’s according to a new survey from WFH Research, a Stanford University-backed think tank that has been analyzing remote-work trends since the pandemic. An even larger percentage of hybrid workers, 39%, said they use gen AI.

The scarcity of in-office use is no small matter for companies that have invested billions in the once-in-a-generation technology. Getting workers to embrace AI has been a critical priority for many leaders, who believe that the technology will unlock innovation, improve productivity, and potentially help outpace competitors. However, despite this enthusiasm, many trial projects have not generated a positive return on investment. Indeed, adoption up and down the corporate ladder has been inconsistent, with managers adopting the tools more quickly than frontline workers have. “Usage intensity varies a lot,” says Bryan Ackermann, Korn Ferry’s head of AI strategy and transformation.

A variety of factors could account for the difference in gen-AI use between in-office and fully remote workers, experts say. People in the office full-time could be taking advantage more often of the human sources of information they have ready access to. “You could speak to that colleague down the hall or have that watercooler chat,” says Dennis Deans, Korn Ferry’s global human resources business partner. In-office workers might worry that colleagues or bosses might look down on them for using AI. “Others may perceive [AI use] as not producing their own work, or maybe not focusing on the work they should be doing,” says Kristy Steiner, Korn Ferry’s vice president of client services for AI strategy and transformation.

On the flip side, workers who aren’t in the office full-time might feel a greater need for AI than their in-office counterparts do. And they might not feel judged for using it. For example, more than three-quarters of interim consultants—who don’t work at an office full-time—report using AI for work, according to a recent survey by the research group Staffing Industry Analysts. “Maybe the interim consultants have greater flexibility when they’re not at an office,” says Nick Gust, Korn Ferry’s president of its North America Interim Finance, HR and Legal business.

According to the research, work-related generative-AI use has increased for in-office, remote, and hybrid workers, although not by much, from last December, when WFH Research last surveyed the question. Back then, 13% of fully in-office employees said they used it, while 31% of fully remote and 35% of hybrid workers did. Experts say it’s crucial for companies not only to increase adoption across the board, but also to find ways to close the gap between in- and out-of-office workers. Ackermann says more training may help those who are office based, but he’s also a big fan of encouraging workers to experiment with the technology. “Experimenting can go a long way toward adoption,” he says.

Learn more about Korn Ferry’s AI in the Workplace capabilities.

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