Businesses
C-Suite Leaders Are Adopting Workplace AI Faster Than Other Employees, Adobe Research Finds
24 Aug 2026
Adobe Acrobat research shows a wide gap in workplace AI confidence, with senior leaders far more comfortable using AI tools and reporting greater productivity gains than non-management employees.
London, UK — 24 August 2026 — Senior business leaders are adopting artificial intelligence at a much faster rate than non-management employees, according to new research from Adobe Acrobat.
The study surveyed 2,000 UK adults and found that 74% of C-suite leaders are comfortable sharing work-related documents with AI tools, compared with just 20% of non-management employees.
Overall, 68% of workers surveyed said they now use AI at work. However, the research points to a significant divide in how different levels of the workforce are using and trusting the technology.
Senior Leaders Are Seeing Greater Time Savings
The gap is also visible in productivity.
Around 37% of C-suite executives said AI saves them between three and five hours each week. Only 13% of non-management employees reported the same benefit.
By contrast, non-management workers were most likely to report savings of less than one hour per week.
The findings suggest that productivity gains depend not only on access to AI tools, but also on confidence, training and how deeply the technology is integrated into everyday workflows.
AI Use Differs Sharply by Role
Senior executives were also more likely to use AI across a broad range of business tasks.
According to the research:
- 35% of C-suite leaders use AI for data analysis or technical work, compared with 12% of non-management employees.
- 33% use AI for meetings and task management, compared with 12%.
- 29% use AI for document creation and editing, compared with 17%.
- 25% use it across marketing and sales, compared with 6%.
- 25% use AI in HR and operations, compared with 7%.
- One of the clearest differences is non-use.
59% of non-management employees said they do not use AI tools at work at all, compared with only 1% of C-suite leaders.
Technology Sectors Lead Adoption
AI confidence also varies substantially by industry.
Workers in IT, technology and telecommunications reported some of the highest adoption levels. Only 7% said they do not use AI at work, while 73% said they would be comfortable sharing work-related documents with AI systems.
Marketing, media and communications also showed strong adoption, particularly across document editing, summarisation, content creation and workflow management.
Education, healthcare and non-profit organisations were among the more cautious sectors.
Privacy and Trust Remain Major Barriers
Despite rising adoption, concerns remain.
The biggest challenge identified by respondents was data security and privacy, cited by 22%.
This was followed by:
- concerns about AI accuracy or errors- 20%;
- lack of training or clear guidance- 19%.
- Confidence also varied by age.
More than half of workers aged 25 to 34 said they would feel comfortable sharing workplace documents with AI. Among workers aged 55 and above, that figure fell to 15%.
AI Adoption Is Becoming a Workforce Issue
The findings highlight a wider challenge for businesses.
AI adoption cannot be limited to leadership teams if companies expect the technology to improve productivity across the organisation.
Workers need access to secure tools, clear policies and practical training.
Without those foundations, companies risk creating a two-tier workforce where senior leaders benefit from automation while other employees remain hesitant or excluded.
The research suggests the next phase of enterprise AI adoption will depend less on simply buying new software and more on building confidence across the entire workforce.
About the Research
Adobe Acrobat commissioned 3Gem to survey 2,000 UK adults between 18 and 22 April 2026.
The study examined AI use across document editing, summarisation, collaboration and productivity, with responses segmented by age, gender, location, workplace seniority and industry.
About Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is a software suite for creating, editing, managing and signing PDF documents.
Its products include tools for document conversion, redaction, merging and AI-assisted summarisation across desktop, mobile and web.
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Sara Srifi
Sara is a Software Engineering and Business student with a passion for astronomy, cultural studies, and human-centered storytelling. She explores the quiet intersections between science, identity, and imagination, reflecting on how space, art, and society shape the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. Her writing draws on curiosity and lived experience to bridge disciplines and spark dialogue across cultures.
