Bosses Want You to Use AI but They’re Not Setting a Good Example, Study Says
Your company’s leadership may have asked you to start integrating AI into your work, but that same leadership could actually be hindering AI adoption in the workplace, according to a new report from Microsoft.
Microsoft’s Work Trend Index, released Tuesday, tracks changes in workplace technology, behaviors and culture. This year’s report, based on global survey data and real-world data from Microsoft customers, focuses on how businesses are integrating AI. Many AI users (65%) say they fear falling behind if they don’t adopt AI quickly, but 45% say it’s safer to stick to current goals rather than rethink their workflows. Very few (13%) feel rewarded for their AI innovation.
This report highlights a new side of the debate about how AI could be used in the workplace. For years, executives have been pushing their employees to integrate AI so they can claim their company is at the forefront of technology, even in cases where AI’s usefulness hasn’t been proven or has worsened employees’ work-life balance. Companies have made layoffs under the pretext of replacing their employees with AI, while pushing their staff to increase their knowledge and skills in AI.
Today, Microsoft reports seeing a “groundswell in AI mastery,” Matt Firestone, general manager of product marketing at Copilot, told me.
Microsoft analyzed more than 100,000 anonymized chats with Copilot and found that nearly half (49%) involved employees asking for help with “cognitive work” – tasks such as analyzing information, problem solving and creative thinking.
The number of AI agents used has increased 15-fold year over year. AI agents are customizable robots that can handle tasks independently. They are widely considered the next wave of generative AI and use the most advanced AI models.
We’ve seen AI disruption at every level, from traditional technology companies to entertainment giants. But promises from leaders like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang of a small human workforce to oversee armies of millions of AI agents have yet to materialize. According to Firestone, one possible explanation relies on an old adage: culture eats strategy for breakfast.
“If you can change the processes and culture to unlock [employees’] potential, we think that’s how technology will diffuse much more quickly throughout an organization,” Firestone said.
Leaders must set a better example on AI
Only 26% of AI users surveyed say their leadership is clearly and consistently aligned with AI. Others report limited capacity or ability to act: employees may not have the tools or programs they need to implement AI, or they have the skills but cannot use them. A lack of organizational support can also mean that employees who are asked to start using AI don’t really know where to start.
One of the report’s key recommendations is that managers model effective use of AI, showing employees what uses are acceptable and actually useful. In a 2025 Microsoft survey, managers who modeled the use of AI led to a 30-point increase in employee trust in agentic AI.
“It’s that human instinct,” Firestone said. “If I see someone doing [using AI] and sometimes, succeeding or failing, this experimentation makes me more comfortable talking about it openly. “
It’s one thing for managers and leaders to impose mandates to use AI more; it’s another for employees to find meaningful ways to do it. Microsoft’s report highlights that some employees want to get started integrating AI and agentic AI into their jobs, but there isn’t the support or resources to do so effectively. This is ultimately a leadership problem, not just a technical problem.
