Desk workers who use AI daily say they’re more productive and have greater job satisfaction
Slack’s latest Workforce Index revealed a significant increase in AI adoption and excitement among Australian desk workers, with daily AI usage higher by 190% in just six months. The survey of 5,000 desk workers across six countries also found that AI has emerged as a clear competitive advantage. Of the people who use AI daily globally, 64% reported being more productive and 81% reported being more satisfied with their job.
The Index reveals that Australian desk workers are using AI to level up, going beyond just automating tasks. 96% have used AI to perform tasks they previously didn’t have the skills to complete themselves, and 131% are more likely to turn to AI to help them perform tasks better and more creatively, rather than simply automating their work.
Why it matters: While workers have been slower to adopt AI than executives, adoption has surged globally over the past few months, with 60% of desk workers now using AI and 40% using AI agents. And Slack’s latest Index shows that trust and confidence in AI grows with use; workers who use AI agents daily are twice as likely to trust them. With workers all-in on AI, businesses can deliver on their AI vision and unlock the full potential of digital labour within their organisations.
Salesforce perspective: “Australian businesses are really starting to lean on AI to tackle persistent challenges with productivity and meeting customer demand, and we’re seeing that come through in this jump in adoption over the last six months,” said Frank Fillmann, EVP and General Manager, Salesforce ANZ.
“The research shows that for desk workers, seeing is believing when it comes to AI, and it’s the daily users that are reaping the biggest rewards. The more they experiment with it, the more they realise it can do, and the more willing they are to trust it to take on important tasks – supporting them beyond basic automation. It stands to reason then that 81% of daily AI users say they’re happier in their jobs because of AI.”
Australian businesses are really starting to lean on AI to tackle persistent challenges with productivity and meeting customer demand.
– Frank Fillmann, EVP and General Manager, Salesforce ANZ
By the numbers:
- AI adoption, trust and excitement are soaring. Since November 2024:
- AI adoption among Australian desk workers has risen 66%, with 72% of workers now using AI – the highest current rate of AI usage globally
- Daily AI usage among Australian desk workers is 190% higher
- 40% of workers globally have worked with an agent – and 23% have offloaded tasks to agents complete on their behalf
- Globally, daily users of AI agents are more than 2x more likely to express high trust in AI across areas like data protection, accuracy, and decision-making.
- Millennials are emerging as the surprise AI power user at work.
- 72% of Millennials in Australia use AI for strategic work like drafting, summarising, and ideating
- 30% of Millennials say they thoroughly understand AI agents – edging out even Gen Z (28%)
- 43% of executives report daily AI use, compared to 35% of senior managers and 23% of middle managers who use AI every day
- AI is making workers more productive and enabling them to grow into more creative, strategic work.
- Compared to non-users, daily AI users are more likely to report “very good”:
- Productivity (64%)
- Focus (58%)
- Job satisfaction (81%)
- In Australia, the top three ways AI / AI agents have increased worker productivity are:
- 1) Eliminating need for extensive research
- 2) Helping brainstorm to overcome creative blocks
- 3) Assisting with writing/communication
- 96% of Australian AI users have used AI to perform tasks they didn’t have the skills to complete themselves. Globally:
- 72% want AI agents to augment or automate brainstorming
- 80% want AI agents to assist with research for deal support
- 82% want AI agents to create presentations
- Compared to non-users, daily AI users are more likely to report “very good”:
- AI enhances – not replaces – connection among workers.
- Globally, daily AI users are 246% more likely to feel more connected to colleagues and report a 62% higher sense of belonging at work
- 1 in 3 (34%) Gen Z say AI has made them feel more connected at work
- In Australia, 62% of Gen Z workers – the digital native generation – say AI hasn’t changed how often they ask questions or collaborate with teammates
- In fact, 27% say it’s actually increased their engagement.
- AI enhances — not replaces — connection among workers.
- Daily AI users are 246% more likely to feel more connected to colleagues and report a 62% higher sense of belonging at work.
- 1 in 3 (34%) Gen Z say AI has made them feel more connected at work
- 50% of Gen Z workers — the digital native generation — say AI hasn’t changed how often they ask questions or collaborate with teammates.
- In fact, 29% say it’s actually increased their engagement.
Go deeper:
- Learn more about how HR leaders are preparing their workforce for digital labor
- Check out how far workers have come on AI since the last Workforce Index
- Learn more about how workers are using Agentforce in Slack
- Find more AI research in the Salesforce stat library
Methodology: The study included 5,156 workers in Australia (827 respondents), France, Germany, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. and was fielded between April 9, 2025 and May 1, 2025.
The survey was administered by Qualtrics and did not target Slack or Salesforce employees or customers. Respondents were all desk workers, defined as employed full-time (30 or more hours per week) and either having one of the roles listed below or saying they “work with data, analyze information or think creatively”: executive management (e.g. president/partner, CEO, CFO, C-suite), senior management (e.g. executive VP, senior VP), middle management (e.g. department/group manager, VP), junior management (e.g. manager, team leader), senior staff (i.e. non-management),skilled office worker (e.g. analyst, graphic designer).
