A new study from Slack has revealed that while executives remain fully committed to AI, for the first time since genAI’s introduction, adoption rates are levelling off, and enthusiasm is waning among the global workforce.

Slack’s latest Workforce Index, composed through a survey of more than 17,000 desk workers around the world, found that 99% of executives reported they will invest in AI this year, with 97% saying they feel some level of urgency to incorporate AI into business operations.

AI innovation remains the number one top-of-mind issue for executives, with 72% prioritising a ‘significant’ investment, but that sentiment isn’t shared by their employees, with AI uptake among workers starting to cool. 

The report shows that between September 2023 and March 2024, AI adoption had steadily increased globally, growing from 20% of the global desk worker population to 32% in March 2024, about a third of all desk workers, but over the past three months, adoption rates have stalled.

France, for instance, has recently seen just a two point growth in workers trying AI, going from 31% to 33%, while the US saw just a single percentage point growth, from 32% to 33%.

Among the overall global population, excitement around AI is also ebbing, dropping from 47% to 41%, with Slack claiming that this trend is being driven by the US, where the portion of workers who say they’re excited about AI dropped from 45% to 36% over the past three months, and France where excitement rates dropped from 53% to 41%.

Slack’s research found that part of the reason behind AI’s tumbling approval ratings is that workers aren’t clear about when and how using AI is socially and professionally acceptable.

When presented with a list of 11 common tasks, from writing messages and brainstorming new ideas, to analysing data and writing code, nearly half (48%) said they would be uncomfortable admitting to their manager that they used AI.

Among the top reasons for this were workers feeling like using AI is cheating (47%), a fear of being seen as less competent (46%), and a fear of being seen as lazy (46%). 

Interestingly, “AI use is discouraged or not allowed by company policy” was the least commonly cited reason (21%), pointing toward a gap between workers and employer’s expectations when it comes to using AI tools.

However, employees and executives agree that up-skilling should be a top priority, with ‘learning and skill building’ topping the list of activities that executives would like employees to prioritise, and also coming first among the activities workers wish AI would give them more time to focus on. 

To make the most out of AI, organisations will need to invest more in training their staff in its use, with 61% of workers admitting that they had spent less than five hours total learning how to use AI tools, and 30% reporting they’ve had no AI training at all.

The good news is that they’re eager to learn. Over three-quarters (76%) feel urgency to become an AI expert, with the top two reasons being industry trends and personal goals, evidence of an intrinsically motivated workforce.

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“With so many businesses making AI investments right now, these findings are a real wakeup call to leaders,” said Christina Janzer, head of Slack’s Workforce Lab.

“AI adoption isn’t just about enterprises, it’s also about employees. With sentiment around AI dropping, businesses need to help employees accelerate their AI journey and address the cultural and organisational blockers standing in their way.”

According to the report, this should begin with firms making clear plans around the use of AI ahead of increasing their investments into new tools, as well as the adoption of different training styles, allowing workers to learn from each other as well as through standard training modules.

One idea could even be AI microlearning, which involves dedicating just a few minutes a day to training, with Slack claiming that the company has seen good results from just ten minutes of learning a day.