The workplace is changing fast. AI tools are transforming the way people perform their jobs and how companies manage their operations. While 91% of leading businesses have ongoing investments in AI, according to NewVantage Partners, the challenge isn’t just adopting the technology. It’s doing it right.
The stakes are high. Get AI adoption wrong, and you’re looking at security risks, compliance issues, and wasted resources. Get it right, and you can transform productivity across your organization.
Make the Invisible Visible
Most companies have no idea how much AI their employees are actually using. McKinsey found that 79% of workers report some exposure to AI, with 22% using it on a regular basis. That means AI is already in your workplace, whether you know it or not.
The first step is getting visibility into every AI tool your team touches. Who’s using what, and for what purpose? This isn’t about surveillance. It’s about understanding your landscape so you can manage risks, identify gaps, and develop a genuine strategy.
Without visibility, you’re flying blind. You can’t optimize what you can’t see.
Push Your Own Tools
Here’s the problem: employees will find AI tools with or without your help. A WalkMe study found that teams access an average of up to 9,000 AI-related websites. That’s a lot of potential security holes.
Instead of letting people grab whatever they find online, promote company-owned AI tools. These give you control over compliance and security while still meeting employee needs. Digital Adoption Platforms can help with in-app guidance and learning, making the transition smoother for everyone.
Build Safe Spaces for Testing
Banning ChatGPT and similar free tools rarely works. People will use them anyway, often in ways that put your data at risk. A better approach is to create governance frameworks that allow employees to experiment safely.
Smart guardrails don’t stop innovation. They channel it in productive directions. Digital Adoption Platforms can embed these rules directly into workflows, offering real-time guidance when people need it most.
Weave Learning Into Daily Work
According to SnapLogic, 61% of employees report that AI has altered their work processes. But access alone doesn’t equal success. You need to embed AI mastery into the actual workflow.
This means combining digital adoption, governance, and continuous learning. Instead of sending people to training sessions they’ll forget, build AI skills directly into their daily tasks. That’s where real adoption happens.
Automate the Experience
The final step moves beyond adoption to automation. Take WalkMe’s sales team, for example. They trained AI models on competitor information and automated prompts for sales reps. The result? Less time on research, better sales conversations.
The best part is that automation tools no longer require developer expertise. Teams across your organization can build these solutions themselves.
The Path Forward
Mastering AI in the workplace comes down to four things: visibility, governance, education, and automation. Companies that get this right experience improved employee satisfaction, enhanced customer outcomes, and organization-wide efficiency gains.
The AI revolution is happening whether you’re ready or not. The question is whether you’ll guide it or let it guide you.