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Research

Almost half of U.S. office workers say AI has increased their work

A new study of 2,000 U.S. office workers reveals a growing AI productivity gap, with just one in four workers unlocking AI's full potential.

Written by

Fyxer Team
Fyxer Team

June 23, 2026

Almost half of U.S. office workers say AI has increased their work

New York, 23 June 2026 – Nearly nine in ten U.S. office workers now use AI at work, but only one in four have fundamentally changed the way they work because of it, according to new research commissioned from OnePoll by AI email assistant Fyxer.

Read the full AI Productivity Trap Report.

The survey of 2,000 office workers found that while AI adoption has become almost universal, the biggest productivity gains are concentrated among a small group of workers who use AI embedded directly into their daily workflow. It is estimated this "AI productivity gap" could represent as much as $2.6 trillion in unrealised productivity across the U.S. workforce.

The findings are published in Fyxer’s new report, The AI Productivity Trap, which explores why some workers are racing ahead in terms of productivity while others remain stuck with only minor gains.

"The AI adoption race is over," said Rich Hollingsworth, CEO of Fyxer. "Almost everyone is now using AI. Today’s challenge is helping people use it in a way that actually saves them time, significantly boosts their productivity, and genuinely transforms the way they work."

The rise of the AI Superworker

The report identifies a new category of worker: the AI Superworker. They represent just 25% of AI users but are achieving dramatically better outcomes. Among this group, 87% say AI has made them more productive, compared to 63% of all other AI users. What separates them most from everyone else is the type of AI tools they use and how they use them.

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Workers using AI embedded directly into their workflow reported productivity gains 63 percentage points higher than those relying on separate AI tools, who saw just a 20% rise in productivity.

The highest-performing workers have found a way to use AI tools differently to the others. Instead of switching between separate AI tools, like ChatGPT or Claude, they're using embedded tools, such as meeting transcription, email management, workflow automation and AI-powered CRM tools that work in the background, inside the systems they already use.

"The biggest gains come when AI becomes part of the workflow rather than another destination employees have to visit," Hollingsworth commented.

Email remains the biggest workplace time sink

Despite the rapid rise of AI, email remains the biggest drain on workers' time. Reading and writing emails continue to be the most time-consuming activities for U.S. office workers, highlighting the potential of AI tools embedded directly into the inbox.

"The biggest opportunity for many organisations isn't introducing another AI chatbot," said Hollingsworth. "We've tracked how workers spend their time over the last six months, and email remains the single biggest drain on the working day. The organisations pulling ahead are simply helping employees spend less time in their inbox and more time on high-value work."

Millennials are getting more Out of AI than gen Z

Despite being digital natives, Gen Z workers are not seeing the greatest benefits from AI. The research found millennials are more likely to have transformed the way they work through AI, suggesting that workplace experience and understanding where AI can create value may matter as much as technological confidence. The findings challenge assumptions that younger workers are automatically best positioned to benefit from AI.

A new workplace gender gap?

The report also uncovered a significant gender divide. Men were 16 percentage points more likely than women to report that AI had increased their productivity. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in office work, the findings raise important questions about whether women are receiving the same opportunities, support and encouragement to experiment with and benefit from AI tools.

Employee choice drives better outcomes

Workers who selected their own AI tools transformed at nearly twice the rate of those using tools chosen for them by their employer: 35% versus 18%. The finding points to a gap between how organisations are rolling out AI and how it actually takes hold.

Seniority plays a significant role with 63% of managers and senior leaders choosing their own AI tools, compared to 42% of entry-level workers. And those with the most autonomy over their tool choices are also the ones seeing the biggest returns; management reports productivity gains at nearly double the rate of junior workers.

"The AI transformations we're seeing inside organisations often start with one or two people who find something that works, get results others can see, and the tools spread from there. The momentum comes from the ground up." Hollingsworth commented.

About the research

The AI Productivity Trap is based on a survey of 2,000 U.S. office workers conducted in May 2026 by OnePoll. The research explores how AI adoption is reshaping workplace productivity, behaviours and performance.

To arrange an interview, please contact:

Press enquiries:
Mia Serra
press@fyxer.com