AI Adoption Doubles in Two Years, Workers Save Three Hours Per Week

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) at work has more than doubled in two years, according to a recent survey by the European Central Bank (ECB). The study found that 52% of workers use AI on their job, up from 26% in 2024 and 41% in 2025. Users reported saving a median of three hours per week, equivalent to about 7.7% of working time.

Younger and more highly educated workers are the most likely to adopt AI, with adoption reaching 61% among those with higher levels of education compared to 37% among those with lower levels of education. Men also reported slightly higher usage than women.

The ECB research found that users reported significant time savings, but cautioned that this figure should not be treated as a direct measure of AI's impact on economy-wide productivity. Only about half of workers reported both using AI and saving time through it, meaning the estimated overall efficiency gain is closer to 3.8% of working hours.

The researchers stressed that saved time only translates into higher productivity if workers use the freed hours to produce additional output rather than less directly productive activities. They also noted that employers need to be able to make use of the additional capacity created by AI for this to happen.