India is leading the global GenAl charge, with 92% of employees embracing such tools, well ahead of the global average of 72%, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
Al is now woven into the fabric of daily work, with 72% of respondents using it regularly. But the true value of Al is being captured by a smaller subset of companies that go beyond tool deployment to fully redesign workflows, according to the new report from BCG titled ‘Al at Work 2025: Momentum Builds, But Gaps Remain’, released on Thursday.
The third edition of BCG’s annual survey, based on responses from over 10,600 workers across 11 countries, reveals that while Al adoption is strong overall, only 51% of frontline employees are regular users, a figure that has stagnated.
What Else?
Meanwhile, the Global South continues to lead in adoption, with India at 92% and the Middle East at 87% as the nations with the highest levels of regular use.
Yet these two high-use countries also report the greatest fear about automation’s impact, far higher than the 41% of all global respondents who worried their roles could disappear within the next decade.
“The country (India) also ranks among the top nations experimenting with Al agents, with 17% of employees reporting integration into their workflows, placing India in the global top three. However, this rapid adoption brings new challenges. Nearly half (48%) of Indian employees fear job displacement over the next decade, highlighting a growing sense of uncertainty,” Nipun Kalra, Managing Director and Senior Partner; India Leader BCG X, BCG.
“Furthermore, only about one-third of the workforce feels adequately trained to leverage Al’s potential fully. As we move from early adoption to delivering real business impact, Indian enterprises must invest in structured training, in-person coaching, and leadership enablement to scale value both responsibly and inclusively.”
The BCG report underlined three key levers to boost Al adoption.
Proper Training
Only 36% of employees feel adequately trained in Al use. Those who receive five or more hours of training, especially in person and with coaching, are significantly more likely to become regular users.
Access To The Right Tools
Over half of respondents (54%) say they would use Al tools even if not authorised, with Gen Z and Millennials especially prone to bypass restrictions. This “shadow Al” poses rising security risks.
Strong Leadership Support
Just 25% of frontline workers say their leaders provide enough guidance on Al. Where leadership is engaged, adoption and employee optimism are markedly higher.
“Companies cannot simply roll out GenAl tools and expect transformation,” said Sylvain Duranton, Global Leader of BCG X and a coauthor of the report. “Our research shows the real returns come when businesses invest in upskilling their people, redesign how work gets done, and align leadership around Al strategy.”
