In a recent Associated Press article, reporters Matt O’Brien and Linley Sanders highlight findings from a new Gallup poll on how Americans are using AI in their day-to-day work. Citing data from the Gallup Workforce survey, they report that about 12% of employed adults now use AI daily, while roughly one-quarter use it at least once a week. That marks a notable jump from 2023, when overall usage stood at 21%, a rise likely driven by the rapid adoption of generative AI tools.
Gene Walinski, a 70-years-old Home Depot associate, featured in the story told AP that he uses an AI assistant on his phone to answer customer questions about supplies he is unfamiliar with. “I think my job would suffer if I couldn’t because there would be a lot of shrugged shoulders and ‘I don’t know’ and customers don’t want to hear that,” told Walinski.
Below are some additional highlights from the Gallup survey, as reported in the Associated Press article.
- AI is widely used in technology, finance, and education: AI adoption is highest among technology workers, with 60% using it frequently and 30% daily. While adoption is growing in other sectors like finance and education, it may be plateauing after a significant increase. Joyce Hatzidakis, a high school art teacher, uses AI chatbots to improve her communication with parents, reducing complaints. “I can scribble out a note and not worry about what I say and then tell it what tone I want,” she told. “And then, when I reread it, if it’s not quite right, I can have it edited again. I’m definitely getting less parent complaints.”
- The benefits and drawbacks of AI adoption: While AI adoption is being heavily promoted by AI Industry and US Government, economists disagree on its impact on productivity and employment. While many workers are adaptable, 6.1 million US workers, mostly in administrative and clerical work at least 60% women in smaller towns, are at risk due to limited transferable skills and lower savings. “If their skills are automated, they have less transferable skills to other jobs and they have a lower savings, if any savings,” says Sam Manning, a fellow at the Centre for the Governance of AI. ”An income shock could be much more harmful or difficult to manage.”
- Few workers worry about AI replacing them: According to the Gallup workforce survey, AI use is increasing, few employees fear job loss due to automation. Rev. Michael Bingham, a pastor of the Faith Community Methodist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, for example, relies on human connection and divine guidance for his sermons, rather than AI. “You don’t want a machine, you want a human being, to hold your hand if you’re dying,” Bingham said. “And you want to know that your loved one was able to hold the hand of a loving human being who cared for them.”
According to AP, AI usage is less common in service-based sectors like retail and healthcare or manufacturing. “The human interface part is really what a store like mine works on,” Walinski said. “It’s all about the people.”
Acknowledgement: The summary section of this post was generated using AI writing tools as part of my experimental learning process. For more detail, check out the original articles listed below.