Key Takeaways
- A quarter of AI leaders say AI has already made mistakes that have impacted their business
- The vast majority of employees and leaders don’t think AI investment within their company should slow down, with benefits already being reported
- Concerns persist around AI’s safety as well as potential misuse and overreliance on the tools
Around a quarter of IT leaders report AI has already made mistakes that have negatively impacted their business, according to a new report.
Despite potential and realized business disruptions, AI investment remains optimistic. A large majority of IT leaders and employees said their company should maintain or increase its AI spending.
However, concerns remain around overreliance on AI and misuse, particularly as many leaders and employees said their company isn’t currently doing enough to encourage responsible AI use.
AI Mistakes Have Already Impacted Customers, Clients, and Bottom Line
Around a quarter of IT leaders say AI has made mistakes that has impacted customers, clients, and their company’s bottom line, in a new report from GoTo and Workplace Intelligence.
Similarly, even amongst the leaders who haven’t reported any impactful AI mistakes, concern remains high. Nearly all IT leaders surveyed (91%) worry AI could make a mistake that negatively impacts their organization.
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Findings are based on a global survey conducted between November 2025 and January 2026. The sample included 1,250 full-time knowledge workers and 1,250 IT decision-makers.
Investment and Belief in AI Remains Strong
Despite concerns, companies aren’t slowing down on AI investments. Nearly all IT leaders surveyed (98%) said their company uses AI, and 82% of employees surveyed report using AI tools at work. Overall, 9 in 10 employees and IT leaders said their company should maintain or increase its AI spending, suggesting opinions of the technology are positive.
This is most likely the result of the significant benefits leaders and employees are already experiencing. 88% of employees said AI has benefitted them at their job. The main benefits include increased productivity (84%), better customer support (76%), and improved motivation and engagement (74%).
AI’s potential could even be greater still. The report suggests businesses could gain up to $2.9 trillion from unlocking AI’s full untapped value, and employees are still spending 2.6 hours per day on tasks that could be handled by AI.
Employees Remain Wary of AI Overreliance and Misuse
For all the spending on AI and its benefits, there are still major concerns among employees and leaders. Half of the surveyed employees say they rely too much on AI in their day-to-day, and 30% feel they can’t function without AI altogether.
Similarly, 39% of employees say relying on AI is making them less intelligent, suggesting there is yet to be a balance between using our own human judgement and relying on AI to do the thinking for us.
“AI has become a standard part of work, but our research shows that adoption alone doesn’t guarantee better outcomes. Employees are gaining productivity benefits, yet many are struggling with overreliance, inconsistent guidance, and a lack of training that helps them use AI responsibly and effectively. The organizations that will get the most value from AI are those that invest just as much in people, policies, and skills development as they do in the technology itself.” Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner at Workplace Intelligence
AI tools are also increasingly misused by employees. 70% of those surveyed admitted to misuing AI for sensitive or high-stakes work tasks. Overall, less than half of IT leaders said their company has an AI policy, and 84% of employees say their company isn’t doing enough to encourage responsible AI use.
AI is now commonly involved in serious data breaches and leaks, and so business leaders should ensure employees follow best security practices and that any sensitive data is well-protected.
