News

Enterprise AI Survey Shows Divisions, Tension & Sabotage

• By David Ramel
• 03/18/2025

A new report on generative AI adoption in the enterprise explores how to break down silos, navigate tension, and activate champions to unlock the transformative potential of AI at work.

The report from AI-centric startup Writer is based on a survey of 1,600 knowledge workers: 800 C-suite executives and 800 employees. The company's namesake platform is a full-stack generative AI platform designed to help enterprises integrate AI into their workflows efficiently and securely, offering tools for building custom AI applications, content generation, summarization, and data analysis.

The 2025 Writer AI Survey is sub-titled "New data on navigating the AI adoption gap" and promises to explore the pain points and the potential of AI in the enterprise.

Of pain points there are many, the survey found, with Writer detailing five "tension points," one noting, "Around 2/3 of executives say generative AI adoption has led to tension and division. 42% say it's tearing their company apart."

What's more, 41% of Gen Z employees are actively sabotaging their company's AI strategy.

The latter is described under the tension-point heading of "employee retaliation," with the report citing, for example, workers refusing to use AI tools or outputs. Reasons for doing that range from fears about AI taking over their jobs to concerns about the quality of AI tools, highlighting the need for a better change management process.

"Among employees who are sabotaging their company's strategy, some report that this is because they're dissatisfied with their company's AI tools," the report said. "Others note broader fears around AI replacing them or diminishing their value. Organizations can address a few of these concerns simply by using better-quality AI tools. However, many of these issues indicate a poor change management process. Including employees in adoption and implementation initiatives and being transparent with them about the intended use cases for generative AI can help lessen their concerns about AI taking over their job."

Specific data points backing this up include the top ways workers are retaliating:

• 27% have entered company information into a non-approved generative AI tool
• 20% are using generative AI tools that aren't permitted by their employer
• 16% have been aware of an AI security leak but haven't reported it

Companies that don't try to overcome AI adoption challenges may be paying a steep price that they might not even be aware of. "That's because 31% of employees say they're sabotaging their company's generative AI strategy," Writer said. "That number jumps to 41% for Millennial and Gen Z employees. In addition, 1 out of 10 workers say they're tampering with performance metrics to make it appear AI is underperforming, intentionally generating low-quality outputs, refusing to use generative AI tools or outputs, or refusing to take generative AI training."

Here's a summary of other tension points.

Power Struggles
While executives remain highly optimistic about AI's business potential, many are struggling with alignment and implementation. Nearly two-thirds of C-suite leaders report that generative AI is causing friction between IT and other business units (68%) and between leadership and employees (63%). Additionally, 42% say AI adoption is fueling internal power struggles and disruption.

Success in AI requires new skill sets and collaboration across departments. However, some executives feel IT is falling short in driving adoption -- 41% say IT leaders are not engaging with employees, and 36% say they aren't working effectively with other business units.

There is also concern over the tangible value IT is providing, with 36% of executives believing IT teams are failing to deliver meaningful AI-driven results. Nearly half (49%) say employees are left to navigate generative AI on their own, and 71% indicate that AI initiatives are being developed in isolation within their organizations.

Disconnects
There is a significant gap between executives and employees when it comes to generative AI adoption. Leaders may feel confident in their AI strategies, but many employees don't share that perspective -- or aren't even aware a strategy exists. This misalignment highlights a critical breakdown in top-down communication, which could hinder successful AI implementation across the organization.

Lack of ROI
Both employees and executives agree that companies are struggling to deliver the high returns they've promised from generative AI. Nearly equal shares of employees (43%) and leaders (44%) believe executives talk up AI's potential but fail to produce results.

The data supports this skepticism -- only about a third of C-suite leaders report seeing substantial ROI in key areas like employee productivity (36%), cost savings (36%), and revenue growth (32%), despite 73% of companies investing at least $1 million annually in AI initiatives.

Long-term expectations also reflect this disconnect, with 62% of executives believing it will take at least three years to realize a meaningful return. Perhaps most strikingly, 34% of C-suite leaders openly acknowledge that AI adoption at their organization has been a major disappointment.

Poor-quality Tools
A lack of employer-provided AI tools is driving employees to pay out of pocket for the generative AI solutions they need. More than a third (35%) of employees are personally funding their AI tools because their company doesn't offer the ones they prefer. Over a quarter (27%) spend at least $25 per month -- totaling $300 or more annually.

This trend not only places a financial burden on employees but also introduces security risks for organizations, as the use of non-approved AI tools can lead to data governance and compliance challenges.

Strategies to Maximize the Potential of Generative AI
Along with listing tension points and challenges, the report offered up some advice for organizations to maximize the potential of generative AI. They include:

• Formalize and invest in your generative AI plan: Organizations with a formal generative AI strategy are far more successful in adoption (80% vs. 37%), and greater financial investment is linked to better AI implementation and outcomes
• Nurture your company's AI champions: Organizations can accelerate AI adoption by empowering "AI champions," as 77% of employees using generative AI identify with this role.
• Select the right vendors: Most vendors are falling short in providing quality AI tools and guidance, as many C-suite leaders see key factors as important but rate their company's AI solutions poorly.

"With a strong strategy, meaningful investment, and the right technology partnership, AI shifts from a source of friction to a force for change, unlocking entirely new possibilities for organizations and the people behind them," Writer concluded.