Salesforce has released research showing 66% of Australians regularly use at least one artificial intelligence tool at work. The study also found that adoption is spread across multiple platforms.
The findings suggest widespread use of AI in the workplace, with limited standardization within organizations. Salesforce commissioned YouGov to survey 1,293 Australians aged 18 and over.
Two out of three employees said they use AI tools for writing, research, automation, and customer service. However, 27% reported juggling multiple tools or switching between platforms depending on the task, suggesting that adoption is occurring gradually rather than through a single workplace system.
Employee preferences were almost evenly split between standalone products and AI built into existing software. The survey found that 39% prefer standalone tools and 38% prefer tools that are integrated into the systems they already use.
Governance concerns
The data also highlights the extent of so-called shadow AI in Australian workplaces. 56% of workers using AI at work say they rely on tools that are not provided or approved by their employer.
This raises questions for companies whose employees are trying to manage security, compliance, and data usage while using their own combinations of software. This pattern reflects a broader lack of standardization rather than a narrow compliance issue.
Salesforce also noted the proliferation of agent AI within organizations. The data shows that Australian organizations each use an average of 11 AI agents, adding to the complexity of how these systems are managed and connected.
Embedded use
Another Salesforce global survey of more than 1,500 desk workers suggests that using AI regularly doesn’t necessarily mean it’s part of daily work. Just 9% of desk workers in Australia say AI is part of their daily workflow.
The gap between experimentation and everyday use is manifested in lingering doubts among staff. A global survey found that 40% of Australian workers identify as some form of AI skeptic.
Among those still building trust in AI, the most common concerns are poor performance in real-world scenarios and general output, each cited by 36% of respondents. 30 percent cited low confidence in results, 29 percent cited lack of confidence in results, 24 percent cited inadequate training, and 20 percent lacked business context.
Justin Tauber, general manager of Agentic Technology, Trust and Adoption at Salesforce, said this pattern shows workers are moving faster than many employers.
“Australian workers are embracing AI faster than most organizations expected, but adoption without integration is just noise,” says Tauber.
“What we’re seeing now is a trust gap. Employees are reaching for tools that work for them without the consistency of data context, security guardrails, and workflows that make AI truly useful at scale.”
He said the issue is less about access to tools and more about how companies organize their use.
“It’s a matter of organizational capabilities to bridge that gap, and the first organizations to do so will be the ones to turn their AI efforts into a real competitive advantage,” Tauber said.
training and trust
Organizations that leverage AI extensively tend to have some common elements, including training, workflow integration, and greater trust in secure systems. Salesforce has tied these conditions to whether a company can move from ad-hoc use to more routine deployment.
Nathalie Scardino, president and chief human resources officer at Salesforce, viewed this issue in terms of workforce change rather than software deployment.
“If we get AI fluency right, AI moves from innovation to workforce advantage. It’s the difference between deploying a tool and actually changing the way work is done,” Scardino said.
Customer Perspectives in the Survey by Eightcap Julius Anuari, Product Owner and Platform Lead at Salesforce, explained that implementing AI is a strategic business decision.
“Our business made a big decision to become an agency company. What we really want to do is operate smartly and at scale, serving as many people as possible in as little time as possible,” Anuari said.
He added that proving measurable results is important for wide acceptance within companies.
“That’s where AI gains trust, not in theory, but in measurable impact. The moment you can make measurements and present results, you can demystify AI and build trust within your company. We all use AI every day now. The question is not whether AI will take your job, but how you can involve AI in everyday processes to help humans deal with complexity,” Anuari said.
