Employees use personal AI subscriptions and hide usage from employers

A survey of 250,000 people by Delight reveals that approximately two-thirds of workers use artificial intelligence at work, with a quarter utilizing it daily. Notably, one in six employees pays for their own AI subscriptions to complete work tasks, effectively footing the bill for tools their employers do not provide.

Many workers are keeping their AI usage secret from management. Over 60% of AI users express concern that their employers might discover their use, and about one-third of British workers actively hide it. This secrecy is largely driven by job security fears, as employees worry that demonstrating AI proficiency may lead employers to believe the technology can replace them.

While AI helps with routine administrative tasks like drafting emails and summarizing reports—saving users an average of 70 minutes per week—it creates challenges regarding intellectual credit. Because AI can perform cognitive tasks rather than just mechanical ones, the line between human and machine output becomes blurred. This has resulted in a productivity gain that remains largely unrecorded by companies and uncompensated by employers.