Applied AI
The AI Adoption Gap: Why Only 28% of Employees Are Using AI at Work
Passion IT Group
Contributor
9 min read
Passion IT Group
Contributor
9 min read
TL;DR
Companies are investing in AI, but employees need more than access to tools. They need confidence, guidance, and practical training.
PassionIT’s Applied AI is a weekly AI training subscription that helps employees understand how to use AI safely, responsibly, and productively in their daily work. Instead of a fixed course that quickly becomes outdated, Applied AI delivers short, relevant training episodes that evolve as AI changes.
PassionIT’s Applied AI helps organizations close the gap between AI investment and employee adoption with short, practical weekly training.
AI tools are being rolled out across the workplace faster than many employees can adapt.
Executives are testing AI. Companies are paying for AI platforms. Managers are encouraging teams to use AI to save time, improve output, and increase productivity.
But inside many organizations, a quieter problem is emerging.
Employees are not always ready.
Some are unsure where to begin. Some are afraid of making mistakes. Some do not know what information is safe to enter into an AI tool. Some worry that AI is not being introduced to help them, but to eventually replace them.
That fear creates resistance. Resistance slows adoption. And when adoption slows, AI investments fail to produce the results companies expected.
This is the problem PassionIT’s Applied AI was built to solve.
Many companies believe the hard part of AI adoption is choosing the right tool.
But the harder part is getting people to use that tool well.
A company can deploy AI across the organization and still see little impact if employees are hesitant, confused, or resistant. That is because adoption does not happen just because software is available. Adoption happens when employees understand how a tool helps them do better work.
Right now, many employees are being handed AI tools without enough context.
They are being told to adopt AI, but not always shown how to use it in their specific role. They are being asked to become more productive, but not always reassured that AI is there to support them rather than replace them. They are being encouraged to experiment, but not always trained on safe and responsible use.
Companies are saying, “Use AI.”
Employees are asking, “How does this help me?”
That creates a gap between company ambition and employee behavior.
According to Scott Todd, CEO of PassionIT Group, the gap between executive and employee AI adoption is already becoming visible inside many organizations.
Research from WRITER and Workplace Intelligence found that 64% of company leaders spend more than two hours per day using AI tools, signaling that leadership teams increasingly view AI as a productivity and efficiency driver.
That gap tells an important story.
While executives may already see AI as a competitive advantage, many employees still view it with uncertainty. Concerns about job displacement, lack of training, and unclear expectations continue to slow adoption across the workforce.
Todd also points to another concerning trend: nearly 29% of employees surveyed admitted they had actively resisted or sabotaged AI initiatives because they feared losing their jobs.
This is not simply a training problem. It is an adoption and trust problem.
When employees are anxious about AI, they may avoid using approved tools, misuse them, rely on unauthorized platforms, or quietly disengage from broader transformation efforts.
At the same time, many organizations are struggling to realize measurable returns from their AI investments. In the same WRITER research, roughly half of executives described their AI rollouts as ineffective or failing to deliver meaningful productivity gains.
The challenge is often not the technology itself. More often, organizations introduce AI tools without building the employee confidence, governance, and change management needed for successful adoption.
This broader pattern is reinforced by BCG’s AI at Work research, which shows that although AI adoption is accelerating globally, significant gaps in usage, confidence, and readiness still exist across different employee groups and industries.
“Companies have issued the tools. What they have not done is teach the people. Applied AI was built to close that gap.”
— Scott Todd, CEO, PassionIT Group
Traditional training is usually built around a fixed curriculum.
There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. Employees complete the course, check the box, and move on.
That model does not work well for AI.
AI changes too quickly. New tools appear. Existing tools add new capabilities. Use cases evolve. Risks shift. Governance expectations become more important. What felt advanced a few weeks ago can quickly become basic.
That means employees do not need one massive AI course.
They need ongoing, practical guidance.
They need short lessons that answer real workplace questions, such as:
This is where weekly training becomes more effective than a static course.
Applied AI is PassionIT’s weekly training subscription designed to help organizations improve AI adoption across the workforce.
It is built around a simple idea: employees learn AI best when they receive practical, relevant training in small, consistent doses.
Think of it like a magazine subscription for workplace AI.
Your company enrolls your team. Every week, employees receive a short video lesson that teaches them how to apply AI to real work. The topics are practical, timely, and focused on helping people use AI with more confidence.
“Think of Applied AI like a magazine subscription for workplace AI. Every week, your team gets a short, practical video that shows them how to apply AI to their actual jobs.”
— Scott Todd, CEO, PassionIT Group
Applied AI is not meant to overwhelm employees. It is meant to build confidence week by week.
Applied AI is not a traditional course.
It is a living training experience that evolves as AI evolves.
Instead of locking employees into a fixed curriculum, Applied AI gives organizations a steady stream of current, relevant training. When a new AI use case becomes important, it can become a topic. When a workplace risk needs attention, it can be addressed. When employees need help understanding how AI applies to their work, Applied AI gives them a practical example.
That makes the training more useful, more timely, and easier to apply.
Applied AI helps employees learn how to:
For many employees, AI adoption is emotional before it is technical.
If employees believe AI is being forced on them, they may resist it. If they believe AI is going to replace them, they may fear it. If they do not understand how to use AI safely, they may avoid it altogether.
Applied AI helps change that experience.
Instead of making AI feel like a sudden mandate, it creates a steady learning rhythm. Employees receive short, practical lessons that show how AI can support their work. Over time, that consistency helps reduce fear and build familiarity.
The goal is not to turn every employee into an AI expert.
The goal is to help every employee become more confident using AI in the work they already do.
“Applied AI helps employees move from fear to confidence, from resistance to readiness, and from AI curiosity to real workplace productivity.”
— Scott Todd, CEO, PassionIT Group
Applied AI is designed to be simple for companies and practical for employees.
1. Your Company Enrolls
One annual subscription gives your organization access to weekly AI training content. PassionIT’s page notes that the service is built around company enrollment and practical training for daily work.
2. Every Thursday, a New Episode Arrives
A fresh training video is delivered weekly. The format is designed to be short enough to watch quickly and practical enough to apply the same day.
3. Employees Watch, Learn, and Apply
Each episode focuses on real workplace scenarios, not abstract AI theory. Employees learn how AI can support their actual work.
4. Confidence Builds Week by Week
As employees receive consistent, practical guidance, resistance fades. AI becomes less intimidating and more useful.
Applied AI is built for organizations that want AI adoption to reach beyond leadership and technical teams.
It is ideal for:
Applied AI is not about turning every employee into an AI expert.
It is about helping every employee understand how to use AI better.
For organizations already investing in workforce development, this service can complement broader training initiatives. Teams can also browse PassionIT’s full course catalog to explore additional learning opportunities across ITIL, PMP, PRINCE2, and other professional development programs.
PassionIT’s Applied AI is now available for organizations that want to help their employees build AI confidence, improve productivity, and use AI responsibly at work.
Companies can explore PassionIT’s Applied AI weekly training subscription, review available subscription options, and access the first episode through PassionIT’s Applied AI page. PassionIT’s current Applied AI page lists a free first episode, annual per-employee pricing options, direct inbox delivery, episode archive access, and options for small teams, growth teams, and enterprise organizations.
With Applied AI, companies do not just give employees AI tools. They give them the confidence to use them. Talk with PassionIT about AI training for your organization.
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