26% of U.S. Workers Turned to Paid AI for Job Tasks Last Week

Paid artificial intelligence tools were used for job tasks by 26% of U.S. workers in the prior week, while a separate survey found work use differed by how participants accessed the tools.

The 26% figure covers paid AI use for work. A separate survey conducted in March 2026 with more than 2,000 employed U.S. adults found that 50% had used AI in the previous week for work or personal reasons. Among those users, half said their work use matched or exceeded their personal use.

Within the March survey, 76% of workers using AI through an employer-provided subscription used it for work. The share was 58% among people paying out of pocket for a subscription and 38% among free-tier users.

Among people using AI for work, 27% said it had taken over tasks they previously handled. Another 21% said the tools let them do different kinds of work.

These findings measure different kinds of workplace AI use. A separate 2026 measure of workers’ AI use found that 52% of workers reported using AI at work; the median user said they saved three hours a week.