19 Ways Employees Are Really Using AI

AI has taken over the workplace (or so it seems). From executive pressure to adopt new tools and processes to shifting definitions of productivity, HR pros are seeing in real-time how AI is impacting their people.

But as exciting or stressful as this technological leap may be, there’s still very little clarity on how regular employees are actually using AI in their day-to-day work. As AI tools become commonplace, HR leaders will need a better understanding of what “AI” really means to the typical worker.

We took a deep dive into the data to get a better picture of employees’ AI habits at work. Through interviews with HR business partners, internal surveys, and analysis of over 1,000 comments in public forums, we’ve put together a complete guide to help you understand how employees are using AI, where it’s working, and what HR needs to know.

Employees are using AI to communicate more effectively

1. Rewriting for clarity and kindness

Employees often use AI to soften their tone or clarify their meaning in written communication. This is especially common for customer support teams, who will use AI as an editor when communicating with clients.

AI use cases for customer support range from help with a specific problem, like getting advice on deescalating an upset customer, to strategic initiatives for the team, like developing a consistent voice and tone across all support agents.

Example use case

A support representative is emailing an upset customer, who is unhappy with the product they have purchased. The support representative uses an AI bot trained on their company’s support guidelines to revise their email response, prompting the bot to refine the tone to be more empathetic while still using clear language to explain the refund policy.

What HR should know

AI can be a useful tool for employees who want to ensure their professional messages are clear and respectful. Using AI as a communication assistant can also help address access needs for employees and bridge cultural or generational gaps between workers.

However, overreliance on AI for handling nuanced interactions can have a flattening effect, limiting employees’ use of their own good judgment. To avoid this, HR should provide resources for employees to hone their emotional intelligence and communication skills, emphasizing that it's every employee’s responsibility to exercise care and respect at work.

2. Polishing rough notes into full emails

Employees use AI to turn fragmented ideas or bullet points into fully formed, professional messages. This strategy can help people save time and ensure clearer communication.

Anyone might rely on AI to flesh out an email, but it’s especially useful for people in fast-paced roles, like sales. Sales development reps (SDRs) are constantly sending follow-up emails, and rather than write every email from scratch, they can now quickly turn their call notes into a compelling outreach message.

Example use case

Following a fast-paced discovery call, an SDR pastes their notes into AI with a prompt like, "Write a professional follow-up email that summarizes the conversation, restates the prospect’s needs, and proposes a time for a demo." The SDR now has a full email draft that they can revise using their professional expertise.

What HR should know

AI-assisted email writing can reduce burnout from repetitive communication tasks and help teams maintain consistency in external messaging. It’s also a useful tool for employees who may be less confident in business writing or who aren’t writing in their primary language.

That said, teams should ensure quality control isn’t sacrificed for speed. HR can support by encouraging feedback loops and peer reviews, so automated messages don’t devolve into a pattern of inaccurate or impersonal emails.

3. Simplifying complex language

The workplace is notorious for specialized jargon—legalese and technical acronyms can leave employees confused and overwhelmed. With AI, workers are able to translate the vocabulary of specialists into plain language.

This is useful in any role where a specialist needs to communicate outside their field, such as lawyers, IT professionals, or scientific experts. AI-assisted jargon translation is also a two-way street: a specialist might use AI to simplify their own language, but the message recipient could also use AI to explain unknown terms.

Example use case

A compliance manager is drafting an update to the company’s data retention policy. They ask AI to simplify the language so that frontline employees can easily understand what data they should or shouldn’t store and for how long.

What HR should know

When policies or projects are hard to understand, it creates confusion and widens knowledge gaps. AI can make internal resources more inclusive by ensuring that essential information is accessible to all employees, regardless of role or literacy level.

HR can help guide this process by ensuring legal review of any altered or simplified policy language and providing employees with easy access to the official version of any policy.

4. Adjusting tone for different audiences

Context-shifting can be a major mental burden throughout the workday, and some employees are using AI to lighten the load. Employees will rely on AI to modify their written tone for different audiences, especially when communicating across hierarchies or departments.

Product managers, for example, often present the same product updates to engineers, customer success teams, and executive stakeholders. With AI-assisted editing, they can revise presentations to shift the tone and what content they’re highlighting.

Example use case

A product manager asks AI to rephrase a product launch note into three versions: technical language for engineers, customer benefits for sales, and high-level results for executives. The PM can then use those drafts as a starting point to prepare presentations or knowledge documents.

What HR should know

When an employee is uncertain about how to present ideas to executives, it can unfairly limit their growth. AI can be a helpful tool for building cross-departmental communication skills and leveling the playing field, but it should complement, not replace, good training programs.

5. Aligning with brand voice

External consistency matters when it comes to building brand trust and recognition. Employees across marketing, customer success, and sales teams are using AI to ensure their messages align with the company’s brand voice. Brand voice tools help teams maintain tone across campaigns, channels, and even departments. It can also reduce editing time and protect brand reputation.

Example use case

A content marketer is writing a nurture email series for a new audience segment. As they write, they use an in-line, AI-powered editing tool trained on brand guidelines to get recommendations for tone, voice, and approved product terms.

What HR should know

Brand voice tools help employees maintain brand standards and can improve productivity in creative workflows. Companies should make sure employees are confident in their understanding of the brand and can apply their own judgment, especially when accepting or rejecting AI suggestions.

HR and marketing can partner to include brand voice education in onboarding and internal comms, so teams understand why the brand voice matters and how they can best implement brand voice tools in their work.

Employees are using AI to boost productivity and focus

6. Recording meetings

With so many hybrid and remote team meetings, it’s no surprise employees are using AI to help them keep track of what was said and next steps. AI transcription tools allow teams to stay engaged in meetings without scrambling for notes.

This is particularly useful for team leads who may be responsible for sharing meeting notes and delegating action items. Having AI-generated transcripts and summaries allows leaders to share key information quickly and accurately.

Example use case

A remote team lead uses an AI transcription tool to automatically transcribe their weekly standup. They then ask AI to generate a short summary of key updates, blockers, and action items, which they paste into Slack for everyone to see.

What HR should know

AI tools that record and summarize meetings can improve team alignment and support inclusion by reducing the burden on employees who may struggle with note-taking or who work asynchronously.

HR should ensure employees are aware of privacy expectations and consent protocols around recording meetings. It’s also a good idea to offer guidance on when note-taking is still necessary, such as in one-on-ones or sensitive conversations.

7. Creating checklists from standard operating procedures

AI is becoming a go-to tool for turning dense documentation into something much easier to follow. By transforming standard operating procedures (SOPs) into actionable checklists, employees can reduce the risk of errors and speed up training. This is especially useful in operations or manufacturing roles, where simplified, step-by-step guidance can make a big difference in task execution.

Example use case

An operations manager pastes a long SOP into an AI tool with a prompt to convert it into a concise checklist with action items. They use the resulting checklist during onboarding and shift handovers.

What HR should know

Synthesizing procedures into checklists helps reinforce safe and consistent processes. It also supports any team members that may struggle with longform reading or information processing. HR teams can partner with department leads to identify SOPs that could benefit from this approach and ensure employees understand how to validate AI-generated outputs.

8. Drafting repeatable templates

From offer letters and performance review reminders to internal requests, AI is helping teams create templates that reduce repetitive work and save time. Recruiters, for instance, can use AI to streamline communications throughout the hiring process to create more efficient and consistent candidate experiences.

Example use case

A recruiter uses AI to draft a template for rejection letters, ensuring candidates can be informed in a timely manner. The recruiter prompts the AI tool to create a warm and professional rejection template that can be personalized for different roles and candidates.

What HR should know

AI-generated templates can increase efficiency, but they should be reviewed carefully to ensure tone and content align with your company values. HR can provide template libraries for sensitive messages, such as terminations or disciplinary notices, and create review workflows to catch tone mismatches before sending.

9. Prioritizing to-do lists

AI is helping employees find clarity in how to manage their time. By inputting a list of tasks and deadlines, they can use AI to organize their day by urgency or impact. This can be especially helpful for executive assistants, project managers, or anyone managing large workloads.

Example use case

An executive assistant inputs the executive’s full task list into AI and asks it to prioritize the tasks for the next two days, based on urgencies and dependencies. The assistant uses the output to get started organizing the executive’s calendar.

What HR should know

When employees feel overwhelmed, tools that help them prioritize can reduce burnout and support performance. Encourage employees to use the tools that help them do their best work, but reinforce that these tools are guides, not decision-makers. Remind employees to use AI as a productivity partner, while still checking with stakeholders and using their best judgment.

10. Brainstorming onboarding plans

A great onboarding experience is crucial to employee success. If designing the perfect program feels daunting, an AI brainstorming partner can help generate ideas for activities and timelines. This can be a useful strategy for HR generalists, department heads, or anyone managing new hires.

Example use case

An HR generalist prompts an AI tool to draft a 30-day onboarding plan for a new data analyst that includes software training, cross-team meetings, and a first project. They review the draft and then share it with the manager, who reviews and revises it where necessary.

What HR should know

AI can jumpstart onboarding planning by offering structure and ideas, but no two roles—or people—are exactly the same. If your company uses AI to develop onboarding plans, consider coaching managers on how to personalize those AI-generated ideas based on the role’s responsibilities, the new hire’s background, and team culture.

Employees are using AI to support decision-making

11. Summarizing survey results

Analyzing large batches of survey data can be time-consuming and overwhelming. AI can help teams quickly identify themes and pull out meaningful insights from both quantitative and qualitative data.

AI-assisted data analysis is especially helpful for anyone who regularly gathers feedback or tracks trends, such as marketing researchers or people operations teams.

Example use case

After a quarterly pulse survey, a people operations manager uses an AI tool to analyze over 600 open-text responses and summarize common themes, employee sentiments, and any urgent issues mentioned. The people operations team then uses the generated summary as a first draft for a leadership report.

What HR should know

AI can help identify patterns in qualitative data, including open-text responses, which can be a huge help for reviewing survey results. However, it’s not perfect. Biases in language models could misinterpret sarcasm, cultural phrasing, or sensitive topics. Explore adopting AI tools designed specifically for data analysis, rather than general-purpose tools, and encourage leaders to always validate AI-generated insights.

12. Drafting pros and cons for decisions

Business leaders often need to weigh multiple options quickly. AI tools can help structure thinking by laying out potential benefits and tradeoffs. Your procurement teams, finance leads, and department heads might be using AI to assist in evaluating vendors, budgets, or policy changes.

Example use case

A finance manager evaluating two compensation benchmarking platforms asks AI to generate a pros and cons list based on their notes from meetings with sales representatives. The finance manager then uses the list to frame their conversation with the executive team.

What HR should know

AI-generated pros and cons can support clearer thought processes and enhance decision-making skills. Keep in mind, AI-generated content is only as good as the inputs. HR business partners should encourage leaders to provide as much context as possible when using AI tools for analysis, and always make final decisions in collaboration with other human stakeholders.

13. Generating interview questions

To hire great candidates, you need to conduct thoughtful, intentional interviews. While a recruiter may live and breathe job interviews, not every hiring manager feels confident as an interviewer. For this reason, many hiring managers are now using AI to come up with role-specific interview questions.

Example use case

A hiring manager inputs a job description into AI and prompts, “Write 10 behavioral and 5 technical interview questions for this role.” The AI generates a list, which the hiring manager then reviews and revises.

What HR should know

AI can support fair, effective hiring by helping interviewers prep faster and with more structure. Still, it’s important to review all questions for relevance and bias. HR teams should ensure consistency across interviews and help managers understand how to ask follow-ups, listen for evidence, and score answers fairly.

14. Researching industry trends

A growing portion of employees are using AI to scan recent news, market shifts, and evolving best practices, helping them gather and synthesize trend data more quickly.

Example use case

A product marketer for a sneaker company asks an AI chatbot, “What are three emerging trends in athletic footwear this year?” The AI tool generates a summary of trends based on industry publications and press releases. The product marketer uses those results to narrow the focus of their research to those major trends.

What HR should know

AI can be an accessible starting point for employees conducting research. However, depending on the tool, the AI-generated content could hallucinate false information, fail to cite sources, or rely on outdated information. HR teams may need to work with leadership to develop a clear policy for AI-assisted research.

15. Exploring what-if scenarios

AI can help employees play out scenarios before a decision or change goes into effect. Some employees are using AI as a thought partner to walk through hypotheticals, test out ideas, and even prepare for risk mitigation.

Example use case

An IT leader is considering switching project management tools, but they’re unsure whether it’s worth making a big change mid-quarter. They give an AI chatbot the context and ask what could go wrong if they implement a mid-quarter switch. As the IT leader revises their proposal to change tools, they use the AI-generated scenarios to see whether their plan is accounting for all the possible risks.

What HR should know

AI-assisted hypotheticals can help employees stress-test ideas or work through their own uncertainties. HR can support an effective balance of AI brainstorming and human-driven ideas by encouraging a culture of open communication and psychological safety.

Employees are using AI to collaborate with confidence

16. Roleplaying difficult conversations

Whether it’s addressing performance issues or navigating interpersonal conflict, employees sometimes struggle with what to say and how to say it. AI can help by simulating the other side of the conversation, giving people space to practice and build confidence.

This AI use case is relevant for both leaders, who may deal with high-stakes, sensitive conversations, and entry-level employees, who might be navigating power imbalances at work.

Example use case

An individual contributor wants to ask a manager for more time to complete a project. They use AI to roleplay their manager’s possible responses—supportive, annoyed, or disappointed—so the employee can practice expressing their needs while staying calm and respectful.

What HR should know

Practicing conversations with AI can reduce anxiety and help employees build communication skills. However, it’s not a solution to a widespread culture problem. If a large portion of employees are feeling anxious about confronting colleagues, it may be time to revisit your company values and culture.

17. Writing talking points for presentations

Presenting information clearly and confidently is a key part of leadership—but not everyone is clued into the hidden curriculum of making professional presentations. To overcome this, employees are using AI to help summarize complex information into polished talking points.

This is particularly common among department heads and senior leaders, who frequently give high-pressure presentations to executives or cross-functional teams.

Example use case

A vice president of customer success uses AI to summarize a quarterly report into three main takeaways, a statistic for impact, and a call to action for their executive presentation. After using the AI summary to write speaking notes, the VP asks the AI to revise the notes to appeal to an executive audience.

What HR should know

Encourage leaders to review and revise AI-generated points in their own voice. HR or internal comms can also offer support for big moments, like board meetings or restructures.

18. Explaining internal tools

IT and operations teams often support dozens of internal tools. People in these roles will use AI to standardize and simplify instructions, so they won’t have to answer the same questions every day.

Example use case

A project manager is frequently asked how to update deadlines in a project management tool. They ask AI to write a step-by-step how-to in plain language, then share it in the internal knowledge base.

What HR should know

AI-generated guides can reduce ticket volume and support self-service. HR can work with IT and operations to standardize prompts and review outputs before publishing guides or FAQs company-wide.

19. Creating peer-level explainers

Cross-functional collaboration is easier when everyone understands the context. Employees use AI to break down their more specialized work into plain language, so their teammates can engage more meaningfully.

This is helpful for employees who regularly work across knowledge areas, like a product development team that has to collaborate with marketing, sales, customer service, and operations.

Example use case

A healthcare nonprofit is raising funds for a new public health initiative. A doctor in the organization has been asked to send a briefing memo to the fundraising team. Instead of passing along the technical proposal filled with medical terms, they ask AI to write a peer-level explainer that answers, “What are the key elements of this project, and how will they support the health of our community in the long-term?”

What HR should know

Peer-level explainers can break down silos and strengthen collaboration. AI is a convenient tool for producing clearer communication, but make sure employees are aware that AI isn’t foolproof when it comes to identifying essential content in your original work. Remind managers to review any AI-generated explainers before sending them to other teams.