Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Artificial intelligence has firmly entered the everyday work environment, with 72% of surveyed employees stating that they use it regularly.

However, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) titled "AI at Work 2025: Momentum Grows, But Gaps Remain", real value from AI is only achieved by companies that go beyond mere adoption of technologies and instead rethink the very foundations of how they operate.

ChatGPT and the Global Divide: High Engagement, Uneven Adoption

BCG’s third annual survey, which included over 10,600 employees across 11 countries, shows a generally high level of AI usage. Yet only 51% of frontline workers use it regularly, a figure that has stagnated. AI adoption is particularly high in countries of the Global South — 92% of respondents in India and 87% in the Middle East reported using AI in their work, the highest among all surveyed regions.

Paradoxically, these same regions also report the highest levels of anxiety about automation. Sixty-three percent of respondents in the Middle East and 48% in India fear that their jobs could disappear within the next ten years — compared to a global average of 41%.

Three Key Barriers to Scaled AI Implementation

The report identifies three main obstacles hindering broader AI integration in companies.

First is the lack of quality training. Only 36% of employees feel they have received sufficient preparation. Those who have undergone more than five hours of training — especially in-person sessions with mentorship — are significantly more likely to use AI in their daily work.

Second is limited access to tools. Fifty-four percent of respondents — mainly from Gen Z and millennial cohorts — are ready to use AI even when the tools have not yet been officially approved. This leads to so-called “shadow AI use,” which poses additional security risks.

Third is weak leadership support. Only one in four employees reports receiving clear and timely guidance on using AI. In organizations where management is actively involved, employee engagement and optimism around technology are notably higher.

From Tools to Transformation: Where Real Value Emerges

Truly effective companies do not stop at adopting isolated AI tools. They overhaul how work is structured — investing in team transformation, embedding systemic training, managing change, and preparing employees for new roles.

These organizations measure the success of AI integration based on concrete outcomes: time savings, reallocation of resources to strategic tasks, increased confidence in decision-making, and stronger team collaboration.

As Sylvain Duranton, Global Head of BCG X and co-author of the report, emphasizes, “It’s not enough to deploy generative AI tools. You start seeing results when leadership prioritizes AI integration, invests in workforce development, and redesigns work processes accordingly.”

AI Agents: The Next Evolutionary Stage

Seventy-five percent of respondents believe that AI agents — intelligent digital assistants capable of independently completing tasks — will play a key role in the future. However, only 13% report that such technologies have already been integrated into their day-to-day work, and just one-third of employees understand how these agents function.

As awareness grows, anxiety tends to decrease, and employees begin to view AI not as a threat but as a true partner.

What Leaders Should Do: Four Strategic Priorities

The report’s authors urge companies to focus on four critical areas to shift from partial adoption to full-scale AI transformation.

First, recognize the pivotal role of training and ensure investments of time, resources, and leadership support.

Second, regularly assess the value generated by AI in terms of productivity gains, improved work quality, and higher employee satisfaction.

Third, invest in workforce development and reimagine work processes, factoring in the impact of AI on individual roles, teams, and the entire organization. This includes a thoughtful strategy for reskilling and upskilling.

Fourth, establish systems that can manage the changes triggered by AI implementation and support employees throughout the adaptation process.

“Organizations that invest in transforming processes and empowering people achieve significantly better results,” notes Vincent Boche, Global Leader of the Human x AI initiative at BCG and co-author of the report.

“But that requires a strategically structured approach to human capital and an effective implementation system — one that can manage AI’s impact at every level, from individual employees to the organization as a whole.”