Daily AI usage by employees has shot up by an astounding 233% in just six months, according to the latest research from Slack, which found that those embracing new technologies are enjoying much higher rates of productivity and job satisfaction.

The instant messaging platform’s latest Workforce Index reveals that 60% of desk-based workers now use AI, while 40% use AI agents, with UK workers who use AI daily 82% more productive and 106% more satisfied with their job than colleagues who don’t use AI.

In a survey of 5,000 global desk workers, including over 800 from the UK, Slack found that daily AI users reported a greater ability to focus (82% vs 70%), improved flexibility in their role (79% vs 65%), and a better work-life balance (77% vs 61%).

According to the study, more AI use isn’t just improving work experience metrics, but is allowing employees to build their skills, with 96% using AI to perform tasks they previously didn’t have the ability to do themselves.

That includes 72% who use agents to help with brainstorming, 80% using them to assist with research for deal support, and 82% using AI agents to create better presentations.

However, rather than simply automating their work, Slack discovered that staff are using technology to augment their own skills, with 154% more likely to turn to AI agents to help them perform tasks better and more creatively compared to 23% who admitted to offloading tasks for agents to complete on their behalf.

Slack said that greater AI use was also linked to improvements in areas like data protection, accuracy, and decision-making, with daily users more than twice as likely to express high trust in AI across these areas.

Added to that, despite fears that more AI would result in a loss of human connection at work, Slack’s study found that users are 246% more likely to feel more connected to colleagues and report a 62% higher sense of belonging at work. 

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“When it comes to workers and AI, the data shows us that seeing is believing,” said Lucas Puente, VP of research at Slack. 

“As workers actually use and experiment with AI agents, their trust and enthusiasm in this technology grows – and we see them leveraging agents to unlock new skills and opportunities in their everyday work.”

Slack’s findings follow news that the platform’s owner, Salesforce, plans to double down on AI, with CEO Marc Benioff telling Bloomberg that the software giant is ‘remarkably on track’ to deploying a billion AI agents by the end of this year, with AI already performing up to 50% of all tasks at Salesforce.

Earlier this year, the company announced it would be losing 1,000 employees in its restructuring towards an AI-first approach, but plans to hire 2,000 more in a bid to ramp up sales of its flagship Agentforce products.