Companies Scaling Up AI Implementation Despite Low Employee Use Rates

KPMG’s recent AI Q4 Pulse Survey gives valuable insights into how companies are adopting and implementing AI systems. The results indicate that more companies are moving beyond the research and development phase, and pursuing full implementation.  However, the pace of AI adoption is posing challenges. Many companies are scaling AI systems before ROI metrics are in place. The survey states:

“Half of leaders are currently scaling their GenAI technology, up from 10% six months ago. However, only a third (31%) of leaders anticipate being able to measure ROI in the next six months, and as of today, none believe they have reached that stage in their GenAI implementation.”

The move towards scaling AI systems faces another hurdle, employee adoption rates. 46% of companies listed employee adoption in their top three challenges to implementing GenAI strategy in 2025. The survey found that entry-level employees and middle managers were the two groups using AI the least. However, executive management and C-suite members use AI the most. This signals a top-down push for AI in organizations, rather than a bottom-up one. There seems to be a certain “if we build it they will come” attitude towards scaling AI systems, but with the large costs associated with AI system development and implementation, it may be wise to measure twice and cut once. Leadership should take care to understand why lower-level employees aren’t adopting AI within their organizations. If employees don’t find value in the AI systems on offer, it may be worth rethinking how AI is integrated into their workflow. On the other hand, some employees may not be using AI because of a lack of awareness or training, in which case messaging and education can help drive adoption rates.