Everyone bought into the same AI pitch: deploy these tools, and suddenly your workforce becomes 2x more productive.
But now that AI has actually been inside companies for a while, reality is splitting into two very different stories depending on where you sit in the org chart.
The executive view: AI is already paying off
According to new survey data cited by The Wall Street Journal from research firm Section, corporate leadership is feeling great about the AI rollout.
More than 70% of executives said they’re excited about AI. Even more aggressively, 19% of execs said AI is saving them more than 12 hours per week.
From the C-suite perspective, the ROI narrative is working.
The worker view: less “boost,” more burnout
The same survey paints a totally different picture at the employee level.
Almost 70% of nonmanagement workers said AI made them feel anxious or overwhelmed. And 40% said the tools saved them no time at all.
So while executives see AI as a time machine, workers are describing something closer to cognitive overload.
What this really signals
This isn’t just an “AI hype vs reality” story.
It’s a rollout and integration problem.
Executives are often using AI as a high leverage assistant: summarizing, drafting, decision support, faster research. Workers are usually the ones dealing with messy implementation: unclear policies, more monitoring, new workflow requirements, and pressure to deliver faster without support.
AI might be improving productivity at the top first, while creating friction at the bottom.
Bottom line
The AI productivity story is starting to look uneven: leadership sees efficiency, employees feel stress.
And if that gap persists, AI adoption won’t be limited by model quality. It’ll be limited by human adoption.