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Thanks for subscribing to the Workplace Intelligence Insider newsletter. In today's edition, I share news stories about the impact of oversharing on workplace communication, AI automating computer science, and the real reason employees are frustrated with AI.

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- Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner, Workplace Intelligence

News Spotlight

Gen Z is bringing their personal lives to work. Oversharing personal details at work, particularly among younger generations influenced by internet culture, is posing new challenges for workplace communication and HR (Business Insider).

AI is replacing computer science. While concerns about a potential "bubble" in computer science, particularly amplified by the rise of AI, are growing, the future trajectory of the field is complex. It depends on various economic and technological factors (The Atlantic).

Workplace mistreatment’s impact on well-being. Observing workplace mistreatment can have significant negative impacts on bystanders, affecting their well-being, trust, and engagement, even if they are not the direct targets (Fast Company).

Stat of the Week

A new study finds that 54% of employees say they’d recently experienced an erosion of workplace satisfaction from within, with 20% saying they’d “frequently” or “constantly” battled these challenges.

HR must immediately address the alarming internal erosion of workplace satisfaction by proactively identifying and rectifying its root causes. This requires moving beyond surface-level fixes to conducting thorough internal assessments, such as targeted surveys, focus groups, and candid conversations, to pinpoint specific stressors like inefficient processes, lack of clear communication, inadequate resources, or strained internal relationships. By partnering with leadership, HR can then strategically implement changes to enhance the employee experience, empower managers to better support their teams, and foster a culture of transparency and continuous improvement, ultimately rebuilding trust and re-igniting satisfaction from within.

Deep Dive Article

The Real Reason Employees Are Frustrated with AI

AI has rapidly become a fixture in modern workplaces, promising to transform productivity, decision-making, and the way teams collaborate. Employers have invested in AI tools with the hope that automation and virtual assistance would help employees work faster and smarter. From chatbots to content generators to scheduling software, AI is now embedded in a wide range of professional tools across industries.

Yet despite this momentum, many employees feel underwhelmed by what AI has delivered. According to a recent global survey of 2,500 workers and IT leaders by GoTo and Workplace Intelligence, 62% of employees believe AI has been significantly overhyped. This skepticism is not necessarily rooted in failure but rather in a disconnect between the promised transformational change and the limited real-world application many users are experiencing.

The research reveals a critical nuance: while 86% of employees admit they aren’t using AI tools to their full potential, a staggering 82% also say they don’t feel confident in how to apply AI practically in their everyday work. This underutilization and lack of clarity may be fueling the perception that AI is more buzz than benefit.

The Hype Gap: Where AI Isn't Meeting Expectations

The mismatch between AI’s reputation and its impact comes down to how it’s being used—or not used—on the ground. Employees report spending an average of 2.6 hours per day on tasks that could be handled by AI. That’s over 13 hours per week per employee, translating into trillions in potential lost productivity globally. Yet many organizations have yet to bridge the divide between access and effective application.

In some cases, AI tools are being used in ways that highlight their limitations or even pose risks. The survey found that over half of employees have used AI for tasks they know they shouldn’t, including emotionally sensitive decisions (29%), safety-related issues (25%), and ethical or personnel matters (16%). Alarmingly, 77% of those workers say they don’t regret doing so. This indicates a lack of training, guidance, and organizational clarity around when and how to use AI appropriately.

There’s also a confidence issue: 86% of employees said they aren’t very confident in the accuracy of AI tools, and 76% noted that AI often produces outputs that require further human revision.

The Training and Policy Void

A recurring theme in the survey findings is that many employees have access to AI—but little instruction on how to use it. Just 45% of IT leaders say their organization has an AI usage policy in place. Without clear guidelines, workers are left to experiment or ignore the tools altogether. Even younger employees, often assumed to be digital natives, are struggling. In fact, 74% of Gen Z workers say they don’t fully understand how to use AI effectively in their day-to-day roles.

This points to a broader organizational failing: many companies are introducing AI tools without laying the groundwork to support adoption. Employees are unsure of best practices, don’t understand the boundaries of what AI should handle, and aren’t provided with meaningful training to integrate the tools into their workflow.

As a result, the transformational promise of AI is stuck at the starting line. Organizations may be checking the box on AI adoption but missing the more important objective—building the capacity and confidence needed to use these tools effectively.

Small Businesses, Big Gaps

The issue is particularly pronounced at smaller companies. According to GoTo and Workplace Intelligence’s survey, only 59% of employees at businesses with fewer than 50 workers are using AI, and nearly half (46%) of those say they don’t know how to use AI to save time or improve their work. By contrast, at larger firms, close to 80% of employees are using AI.

This disparity suggests that access to training, investment, and strategic implementation may be out of reach for smaller organizations. Yet these businesses also stand to gain the most from efficiency tools that can stretch limited resources. A small investment in AI guidance—both in terms of technology and education—could have an outsized impact on productivity and competitiveness.

One data point from the survey stands out: 77% of IT leaders believe spending just $20 or less per employee per month on AI tools could save each worker an hour of productivity per day. For smaller firms, that tradeoff may be well worth the cost—if done thoughtfully.

What Employees Want From AI

Despite the challenges, employees are clear about the kinds of AI support they would find most useful. According to GoTo’s research According to the GoTo and Workplace Intelligence’s survey, the top tools workers want include:

• AI virtual assistants (88%)
• Task automation tools (86%)
• Communication tools powered by AI (83%)
• Generative AI (81%)
• AI chatbots for customer communication (73%)

Yet only about 40% of employees say their company provides these. This mismatch between desire and availability further contributes to the underwhelming experience many workers report. When the right tools aren’t in place—or when employees aren’t empowered to use them—it’s no surprise AI fails to meet expectations.

Closing the Gap Between Employees and IT Leaders

A final but critical insight from the report is the disconnect between IT leaders and frontline employees. IT teams may be focused on the infrastructure, vendor partnerships, or security aspects of AI implementation, while employees are looking for simple, practical ways to get work done faster. This misalignment means companies may invest in AI solutions that check technical boxes but fail to meet everyday needs.

Bridging this gap requires companies to take a more holistic view of AI adoption, combining strategy, measurement, and human-centered implementation.

Training, feedback loops, and better internal communication can help IT leaders better understand what’s working and what’s not on the employee side. When companies align their technology investments with actual workplace needs—and support those tools with policies and education—the results can be transformative.

From Overhyped to Overdelivering

AI's workplace impact isn’t being limited by the tools themselves but by how they’re introduced, supported, and used. While employees recognize AI’s potential, many feel left out of the equation—undertrained, under-informed, and unsure of how to use AI in ways that make their work easier or better. If organizations want AI to live up to the hype, they must move beyond access and embrace enablement. That means clear policies, tailored training, and tools that reflect real-world needs. With a thoughtful approach, AI doesn’t have to be just another tech fad—it can be the productivity revolution workers were promised.

Join GoTo and Workplace Intelligence as we uncover even more insights from our Pulse of Work 2025 survey in our upcoming webinar on July 17th.Click here to register.

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Quote of the Week

“There’s love enough in this world for everybody, if people will just look.”
​Kurt Vonnegut