For some employees, using AI in the workplace is not an option but a necessity.
This trend is not new. Accenture CEO Julie Sweet said in September 2025 that the company plans to eliminate employees who cannot be “retrained and recalibrated” on AI. In early 2026, the company told senior employees that “regular adoption” of AI tools was a prerequisite for promotion, and around the same time Google and Meta leaders told employees that the use of AI would be an indicator of performance.
According to a Gallup report released on July 20, the number of U.S. employees who say their organization is integrating AI technology reached a record high of 47% in the second quarter of 2026, up from 41% in the first quarter. Only 25% of employees say their organization has communicated a clear plan for integrating AI into their workflows.
Dr. Ksenia Wade, a change management consultant who formerly worked at Accenture, says it’s no surprise that so many companies are pushing so hard to implement AI.
But requiring employees to use AI can also lead to what Wade calls “tick-box adoption.” Employees “use AI for the sake of using AI” to adhere to company goals, she says, but they don’t actually integrate the technology into their workflows or apply it to “make their jobs more efficient.”
This could hinder the ability of both employees and their companies to reap the reputed benefits of integrating AI in the workplace, such as increased productivity.
Instead, Wade and other experts share their best advice for businesses to integrate AI without burdening their employees.
Empower workers to choose when and how to use AI
Rather than pushing employees to use AI in every job, companies should be able to consider “where they think AI should be used and where it shouldn’t be used,” said Benjamin Schiller, an associate professor of economics at Brandeis University.
Shiller said that employees with work experience are “best able to determine whether AI is actually useful or will save time” in each role.
Ranjit Bawa, chief technology and venture officer at Deloitte, also recommends giving employees autonomy to make thoughtful decisions about when to use AI.
For example, Bawa said some software developers at Deloitte decided not to use AI for certain coding tasks because they found it beneficial to have “more control over the code.” Insights like this wouldn’t have been possible if the company had forced employees to use AI for every task, he says.
Prioritize clear communication
A Reuters poll released in June found that 53% of Americans are concerned that they or someone in their family could lose their job due to AI. And if companies aren’t clear about how their AI strategies will impact their employees, it can create “additional stress and anxiety,” said Dennis Stoll, director of applied psychology at the American Psychological Association.
Stoll said leaders should have “open and honest conversations” with employees about how AI integration will shape the organization. This includes sharing clear expectations regarding the use of AI, providing timely updates where possible, and addressing employee feedback (and sometimes pushback).
Another Gallup report published in July 2026 found that employees whose organizations provide a “clear plan” for integrating AI are 15% more engaged than those whose organizations do not.
It is the employer’s responsibility to demonstrate how the use of AI benefits each employee personally. For example, helping eliminate busy work and providing upskilling opportunities, Wade says.
“Companies need to understand that[AI implementation]is not just a technology project, it’s a people project,” she says.
Leave room for learning (and mistakes)
Most importantly, according to Wade, companies need to make sure their employees “feel psychologically safe” when working on AI implementation.
Employees need to feel confident that they “will not be punished for making mistakes” as they learn how to use AI, Wade says. Otherwise, no one will have the courage to experiment and innovate with technology.
When someone makes a mistake, leaders should treat it as a “learning opportunity” rather than a failure, she says.
Another way to create a psychologically safe environment is to set aside five to 10 minutes at the end of regular meetings for employees to openly discuss “how AI is working and what isn’t,” Wade says.
In her experience, giving employees a designated space to discuss the AI implementation process makes them feel more comfortable trying new things and asking for help.
