A new study by Epoch AI finds that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a mainstream work tool and changing the way humans get work done.
“AI tools have moved from niche technology to part of everyday life,” Epoch AI said in a recent survey of more than 2,000 U.S. residents in early April. They found that half of employed Americans currently use AI tools for work and personal tasks, with 21% saying AI has created new tasks and 27% said it has replaced existing tasks. The study also claimed that “AI job usage is high among paid subscribers.”
The data found by Epoch AI is consistent with a broader shift towards workplace adoption in the US. In support of this, Pew Research reported last October that one in five US workers uses AI at work, suggesting that AI is becoming part of the routine of US workers.
Will AI change human performance?
In the Epoch AI survey, participants were asked whether AI had changed their work tasks. Of those surveyed, 27% said some tasks have been replaced by AI, particularly through automation. Meanwhile, 21% said technology has caused them to take new workarounds or start performing new tasks. An example of this is extension work, which typically requires the worker to know how to write code, or performing data analysis tasks.
One of Enoch AI’s key findings is that 38% of employed AI users in the US use free AI tools for work and personal tasks. However, the largest users of AI at work are in paid tiers, with 58% self-paid subscriptions and 76% employer-provided subscriptions. The report also states that usage of AI tools is higher among users who have paid access to tools such as Copilot, ChatGPT, and Gemini.
“Taken together, our findings show that the use of AI is now widespread and that its role in work is already important for many people. Most people still use AI primarily for personal tasks, but around half of employed users use it at least as much for work. This percentage is even higher, especially among those using paid tools provided by their employers. Such usage patterns are an important signal to track, as the impact on the broader workforce is ultimately driven by the accumulation of individual changes in the way people work. AI research concludes.
This data analysis is based on Epoch AI/Ipsos research conducted through Ipsos KnowledgePane. The survey was conducted from March 3 to 5, 2026, and 2,021 people responded.
Should we worry about AI replacing our jobs?
As AI changes the way we work, will it replace humans in everyday jobs?
The Singapore government plans to train 100,000 workers to become “AI bilingual” in March this year. The initiative, announced by Singapore’s Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo, will expand programs such as the TechSkills Accelerator to focus on sectors exposed to AI, such as law, accountancy and human resources. The move aims to build on the country’s strong adoption of AI and strengthen its position as a global AI hub, while driving wage growth and innovation across the industry.
On March 19, Chris Marszalek, CEO of digital asset exchange Crypto.com, announced that his company is “joining the growing list of companies integrating enterprise-wide AI.” Marszalek emphasized that companies that don’t follow this trend will fail “quickly,” and companies that are hesitant to transition from human operations to AI risk being left behind.
For artificial intelligence (AI) to function properly within the law and succeed in the face of growing challenges, it must integrate enterprise blockchain systems that ensure the quality and ownership of data input. This allows you to keep your data safe while ensuring data immutability. To learn more about why enterprise blockchain is the backbone of AI, check out CoinGeek’s coverage of this emerging technology.
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