AI adoption rises: 38% of users rely on free tools, says Epoch AI

A new survey by Epoch AI has found that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a mainstream work tool and changing the way humans do their work.

“AI tools have transitioned from a niche technology to a part of daily life,” Epoch AI stated in their recent survey of over 2,000 U.S. residents in early April. They found that half of employed Americans now use AI tools for work and personal tasks, with 21% saying AI created new tasks and 27% saying it replaced existing ones. The survey also claimed that “AI work use is higher among paid subscribers.”

The data that Epoch AI found aligns with the broader shift toward workplace adoption in the U.S. To support that, in October last year, Pew Research reported that one in five American workers uses AI on the job, suggesting that AI is becoming part of U.S. workers’ routines.

Is AI changing humans’ performance?

In the Epoch AI survey, participants were asked if AI had transformed their work tasks. Of those surveyed, 27% indicated that AI has replaced some of their tasks, particularly through automation. Meanwhile, 21% said they started doing a new workaround and performing new tasks because of the tech. An example of this is performing augmentation—or data analysis tasks that would usually require the worker to know how to code.

One of Enoch AI’s key findings is that among employed American AI users, 38% use free AI tools for their work and personal tasks. But the largest users of AI in work are the paid-tier users, with 58% among self-paying subscribers and 76% among employer-provided subscriptions. The report also stated that the use of AI tools is higher among users who have paid access to tools like Copilot, ChatGPT, and Gemini.

“Taken together, our findings show that AI use is now widespread and that its role in work is already substantial for many. While most people still use AI mainly for personal tasks, about half of employed users use it at least as much for work. This share is even higher among those with paid tools, particularly when provided by employers. Broader workforce impacts will ultimately be driven by accumulations of individual changes in how people work, making usage patterns like these an important signal to track,” the Epoch AI survey concluded.

This data analysis is based on an Epoch AI/Ipsos survey conducted through the Ipsos KnowledgePane. Fielded from March 3 to 5, 2026, the survey includes 2,021 respondents.

Do we need to worry about AI replacing our work?

As AI changes the way we work, will it also replace humans in their usual jobs?

In March this year, the Singapore government plans to train 100,000 workers to become “AI bilingual.” Announced by Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Digital Development and Information Minister, the initiative will expand programs such as the TechSkills Accelerator and focus on AI-exposed sectors, including legal, accountancy, and HR. The move builds on the country’s strong adoption of AI and aims to strengthen its position as a global AI hub while driving wage growth and innovation across industries.

On March 19, Kris Marszalek, the CEO of the digital asset exchange Crypto.com, announced that his company would be “joining the list of firms integrating enterprise-wide AI.” Marszalek emphasized that companies that do not follow this trend will “immediately” fail, while those that transition hesitantly from human operations to AI will risk being left behind.

In order for artificial intelligence (AI) to work right within the law and thrive in the face of growing challenges, it needs to integrate an enterprise blockchain system that ensures data input quality and ownership—allowing it to keep data safe while also guaranteeing the immutability of data. Check out CoinGeek’s coverage on this emerging tech to learn more why Enterprise blockchain will be the backbone of AI.

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