How AI Training Can Lead to Productivity Gains

While most U.S. businesses are already using artificial intelligence tools in their workplaces, their adoption rates and productivity increases vary greatly. New research shows how valuable those efficiency increases can be when employers give their full support to staff, including properly focused training on new AI tools. It also shows how the ineffective or disorganized introduction of these apps often undermines their potential gains.

As noted in recent Inc. reports, studies show a majority of global employees aren’t wasting time worrying about AI taking over their jobs, and have instead actively learned to use the tech to enhance the value of their work. A new global survey of nearly 3,250 workers and executives by the London School of Economics’ Inclusion Initiative along with business consultancy Protiviti, quantifies the efficiency gains AI offers. It found that on average, employees save 7.5 hours per week — nearly a full workday — by using apps to automate tasks. The report calculated that by redeploying that extra time for other work, each respondent generated about $18,000 in additional annual productivity for their companies.

Alas, wasn’t the only lesson for business owners. The study also warned that a large gap exists between the AI-powered productivity increases and the level of support they’re offering staff to use most effectively.

For starters, 68 percent of employees who answered the survey said they’d received no AI training in the previous 12 months. That was determined to have influenced both adoption rates, and efficiency gains made using the tech. Indeed, fully 93 percent of respondents who’d gotten that instruction reported regularly turning to apps for their work, versus only 57 percent who hadn’t been given that support.

Meanwhile, the time saved by participants who said they’d received instruction on AI was double that of people who hadn’t. Concretely, 11 extra hours freed up each week to redirect to more productive tasks, versus five hours for people who used the tech without training. According to Grace Lordan, founding director of The Inclusion Initiative and the study’s research lead, those differences offer an obvious message to employers seeking efficiency gains through AI.

“For business leaders, the priority is clear: Closing the AI training gap is one of the fastest ways to unlock measurable return,” Lordan said in comments accompanying the findings. “Equipping employees with the right skills doesn’t just improve individual productivity — it drives sharper decision-making, accelerates innovation and creates stronger overall performance. In an environment where every efficiency counts, organizations that act now will set themselves apart from those still waiting on the sidelines.”

Getting all generational workplace members into that game on a more level field is also essential.

While the survey found 82 percent of Gen Z respondents said they used AI for work, the rate dropped to 52 percent of Baby Boomers. Similarly, about half of Gen Z participants said they were involved in developing AI and its use across the workplace, compared to about 30 percent of Gen Z and Boomers combined.

In line with those findings, the survey also showed nearly twice as many younger employers received AI training during the previous 12 months than older colleagues. That discrepancy was also reflected in the performance of workplace teams that were made up of people of different age cohorts. About 77 percent of working groups with higher degrees of generational diversity reported regular productivity gains, compared to 66 percent with lower age diversity.

In other words, survey authors said, companies that both encourage AI use and train all workplace members to use those tools are likely to see higher increases in overall productivity — as well as better adoption rates and efficiency gains by employees of all generations.

“AI isn’t just another tool for the workplace — it’s a catalyst for rethinking how they organize, lead and empower their people,” said Protiviti global leader of people and change Fran Maxwell. “The organizations that will benefit the most are those that embed AI into everyday workflows, redesign roles to focus on higher-value work, and give employees the confidence to experiment. This research shows that inclusive adoption across all generations doesn’t just improve productivity — it prepares companies for the next wave of change.”

The early-rate deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, November 14, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.