Adobe Study Finds AI Use Gap Between UK Executives and Workers

Adobe research points to a gap in how UK workers use artificial intelligence (AI), with senior leaders reporting more use and different tasks than non-management employees. The findings concern UK adults and do not establish why the differences exist.

Among C-suite leaders, 99% say they use AI tools, compared with 41% of non-management employees. For non-management workers, the most common reported use is creating and editing documents, at 17%. Leaders report using AI for data analysis (35%), meeting and task management (33%), and marketing (25%).

The study also found a difference in reported time savings: 37% of C-suite leaders say AI saves them three to five hours a week, compared with 13% of knowledge workers. On sharing documents with AI, 74% of C-suite leaders say they are willing to do so, versus 20% of other workers.

Adobe says the gap may reflect differences in access to AI, knowledge of how to use it, and support for adoption. Its report recommends using AI for administrative tasks such as drafting and summarizing meetings, emails, and collaboration. Adobe also argues that organizations should build confidence around AI by addressing security, privacy, and transparency concerns. The research identifies data security and privacy concerns, cited by 22%, among the leading challenges to AI adoption.