FT poll finds high earners use AI at work far more than others

In short: A new Financial Times and Focaldata survey suggests AI use at work is rising fastest among higher-paid workers, which could widen pay and gender gaps.

What's going on

The Financial Times and polling firm Focaldata surveyed 4,000 workers in the US and UK about how they use AI tools at work. The results are the first release from a new monthly “AI workforce tracker”, which will keep measuring adoption, training, and job impacts.

The poll found a big pay gap in daily AI use. More than 60 percent of top earners said they use AI every day at work, compared with 16 percent of lower earners. In plain terms, the people already doing best at work are more likely to have a new “power tool” on their desk (AI that can help write, summarize, and analyze).

It also found a gender gap. Men were more likely than women to use AI tools across many industries, including technology, education, and retail. Google’s chief economist, Fabien Curto Millet, said women are about 20 percent less likely to use AI than men, and noted that training sessions can raise usage, especially among older workers.

Another surprise was age. The heaviest users were not the youngest workers, but people in their thirties with longer time in their jobs. OpenAI’s chief economist Ronni Chatterji said this fits a pattern where AI helps experienced workers most.

What to watch

Researchers and economists warned that if AI mostly boosts productivity for higher-paid workers, earnings gaps could grow. There is also concern that AI could replace some entry-level tasks, making it harder for new workers to learn on the job. Watch for whether employer training spreads AI skills more widely, and whether the gaps shrink as the tools become more common.

Source: Financial Times