A global survey reveals a deepening rift in the internal use of AI within businesses. According to a study funded by the HR software company Dayforce, among 7,000 professionals, 87% of executives use AI daily, compared to only 57% of managers and 27% of employees who appear more cautious. At the same time, another survey commissioned by the job market platform Upwork shows that 92% of senior leaders believe AI can boost productivity, yet 40% of employees complain that AI has exacerbated their workload.
In some companies, employees are required to complete multiple AI training courses, using AI tools in their daily work to speed up processes, viewing generative AI as a “thought partner.” Internal documents reveal that one chatbot provides prompts advising managers on how to communicate with a direct report who is underperforming but believes they are doing well. Another prompts employees on how to ask constructive questions after being denied a promotion.
The AI Challenge of Electronic Arts Company
A recently laid-off senior quality assurance designer from Electronic Arts revealed that AI has already taken over a crucial part of his job—evaluating and summarizing feedback from hundreds of game testers. He suspects that this is why he and about 100 colleagues were let go during the layoffs last spring.
In the business world, the divide surrounding AI is especially pronounced in creative industries like video game development. A survey of 3,000 video game creators found that nearly one-third of respondents believe generative AI has had a negative impact on the industry, a figure that has risen by 12 percentage points since 2024. About half of the respondents expressed significant concern over the ethical issues surrounding generative AI in game development, up from 42% last year. Participants also raised worries about issues like intellectual property theft, energy consumption, and potential biases. This survey was conducted earlier this year in collaboration with the Game Developers Conference, research firm Omdia, and media outlet Game Developer.
Will AI become the mainstream of the future?
As more companies integrate AI into their workflows, survey results have raised a tricky question: If employees who play a significant role in developing online platforms, mobile apps, and virtual worlds are so resistant to AI, how can leaders across various industries expect their teams to better embrace this technology?
The leader of the electronic arts company once described AI as the future of the company A matter of life and death. At the investor day event in September 2024, CEO and Chairman Andrew Wilson stated, “The various forms of AI have always been at the heart of our creative journey. Today’s generative AI innovations are fundamental to our business.”
In reality, while the electronic art company embraces AI, it is also grappling with financial pressures. According to the latest financial report, the company’s net profit is projected to drop by 9.4% in the 2025 fiscal year; in the last quarter of that fiscal year, net profit plummeted by a staggering 28%.
Despite the ongoing debates among staff about the role of AI, not all employees are against it. Research indicates that respondents are more likely to favor AI when they believe it outperforms humans in specific tasks, such as predicting future sales or assessing the value of artwork. However, in situations where personalization and creativity are highly valued, human involvement is preferred.
