Nearly half of UK workers are now using artificial intelligence at least weekly, according to new research – with findings suggesting regular AI use may be linked to lower stress levels and stronger engagement at work.
The latest edition of the People at Work 2026 report, from ADP Research, found that AI is becoming part of daily working life across many organisations. Globally, half of workers surveyed said they use AI multiple times a week, while one in five reported using it almost every day.
In the UK, 48% of workers now use AI at least weekly and 20% use it almost daily. The findings indicate that AI adoption is continuing to increase across different industries and job roles as organisations integrate the technology into everyday tasks.
Researchers also found that workers who regularly use AI report higher levels of workplace engagement and lower levels of stress compared with employees who do not use the technology.
AI Use Linked To Engagement and Reduced Stress
According to the report, 30% of regular AI users globally described themselves as fully engaged at work, compared with 14% of non-users.
The research also suggests a relationship between AI usage and lower levels of negative stress at work. Among workers who use AI daily, 11% said they feel overloaded at work, compared with 23% of workers who have never used AI.
Frequent AI users were also more likely to report positive workplace experiences in other areas. Daily users were more likely to say they were part of a strong work team and more likely to feel their jobs were secure from elimination.
However, the findings also identified a disconnect between engagement and perceptions of productivity. Workers who use AI every day were four times more likely to report feeling less productive than non-users. The report suggests this may reflect changing expectations around work as AI takes over more routine or checklist-based tasks, leaving employees focused on longer-term strategic responsibilities that can feel harder to measure.
Jeff Phipps, General Manager, ADP UK & Northern Europe, said that AI presents a paradox: the workers benefiting from it are more likely to question their productivity.
“This tells us AI is changing how people work faster than how we measure output and performance, but workplace use is still in its infancy and business leaders need to think carefully about the adoption of the technology ensuring that the benefits are realised across their organisation,” he said.
“The benefits are real, but our understanding of the human experience is different and pitfalls not yet well understood.”
UK Workers Show Growing Optimism Towards AI
The report noted growing optimism towards AI among UK workers, particularly among knowledge-based employees.
Around 17% of UK workers strongly agreed that AI will positively affect their job responsibilities over the coming year, up from 14% in the previous year’s findings.
Knowledge workers were significantly more positive about the technology than other groups. Around 27% strongly agreed AI would benefit their role, compared with 15% across European knowledge workers overall and 6% among UK workers carrying out repetitive tasks.
Workers aged between 27 and 39 emerged as the UK’s most frequent AI users, with 31% reporting almost daily use. Despite growing adoption, concerns remain among some employees. Around 8% of UK workers said they strongly fear their job could be replaced by AI, while 11% said they do not understand how AI may affect their role in the future.