From Hype to Habit: How People Actually Use AI at Work

A lot has been said and written about AI, and sometimes, it seems like we’re already getting tired of the topic.

But we’ve only begun our journey to making AI a reliable partner at work, and two new studies show this. 

No longer just hype, people across ages, industries, and geographies are tapping into AI as a thinking partner, co-creator, and anything in between.

Armed with data, let’s dive in and understand the realities of AI for work.

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The AI Revolution in the Workplace

In February, we examined the 150 most-used Generative AI tools, and last month, we did the same for the 40 most-used AI in HR platforms. 

This month, we studied the Top 100 AI tools for Work across all industries and roles. 

Parsing over a thousands data points, we landed on a few surprising insights, including:

• Generative AI's Unstoppable Growth: In just two months, we saw a 9% increase in visits to the top 100 AI tools, reaching nearly 3 billion – underscores AI's accelerating adoption in professional settings.
  
  
• ChatGPT Reigns Surpreme: Six “General AI platforms” like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot deliver 70% of AI for Work Top 100 traffic, totalling 2,032 billion visits and 114 million searches. ChatGPT remains the undisputed leader, with 1,626 billion visits—80% of the category and over half of all traffic. 

• Diverse Applications Beyond Chat: While tools like ChatGPT remain leaders, platforms like Canva Magic Studio, Quillbot, and GitHub Copilot show AI's broad utility, from design to writing assistance and coding productivity.
  
  
• Emerging Stars and Sector Growth: Unexpected leaders like Leonardo AI and Perplexity.AI demonstrate the diversity and innovation within the AI space. Their high growth rates and unique offerings provide fresh narratives about AI's impact on creativity and research.
  
  
• Role-Specific AIs are Coming: Platforms like Gong, Copy.AI’s refocus to marketing, and brand identity-generator Looka signal a shift towards specialized AI applications for specific roles and workflows. This is amplified by industry leaders adding valuable AI functionality like Figjam AI, Miro Assist, and Notion AI.

In short, there is a lot of movement in the world of Generative AI, and people are catching on – no matter what the media may be reporting. 

See the full Top 100 and the detailed report with all insights here.

Want to listen rather than read? Join the Top 100 Launch Event next Monday and Tuesday, where I’ll share the key insights and winners.

AI Won’t Take Your Job, But Someone With AI Will

Especially related to this last insight, “Role-Specific AIs,” I now even more strongly believe that “AI won’t take your job, but a human with an army of AI tools and agents will.”

AI platforms, like Canva, Quillbot, and GitHub Copilot, are redefining productivity and creativity, supporting tasks from coding to content creation. The person who successfully taps into the power of these platforms will outperform their peers. 

This means leaders are at a crossroads: do I continue the status quo, or do I invest in learning AI myself and inspire my teams to do the same?

The smart leaders level themselves up with a personal AI tech stack that takes over the 30-50% of repetitive, tedious work that AI can already do.

I don’t want just to spout theory here, so let’s take a look at what my tech stack looks like:

• ChatGPT: Is my trusted source for a lot of work. I am increasingly using custom-built GPTs to further automate repetitive work, from writing podcast guest interview questions to writing social content. 
• Grammarly: One of the platforms I’d pay almost anything for. As an English-as-second-language writer, Grammarly is a lifesaver. 
• Perplexity: I’m starting to use this “Google + AI” more, although I’m still not completely sold on the current execution of it.
• Reclaim and Clockwise: I don’t have that many meetings anymore, but for what I have, the scheduling links of these platforms, plus their smart approach to batching meetings for more focus times, is an absolute must. 
• Writesonic: My absolutely favorite writing tool. We are saving thousands of dollars per month using Writesonic instead of freelancers. 

There are now over 100 tools with a million or more visits per month, totaling almost 3 billion – that’s an incredible array to pick and choose your “AI Stack” from. 

How People Actually Use AI

In the report, we found that most of those 100 tools were in Image and video Generation, Writing and editing, and Research. 

But, most of the traffic still goes to ChatGPT, which counts for over 50% of all AI for Work traffic and searches:

Either way, there is an incredibly wide range of use cases for AI that the smartest people now are putting into action. 

A few tools that stood out to me in the Top 100 and I’ll definitely try out are:

• Leonardo AI, an advanced image generator that allows designers to customize their creations by size, style, and output type. It can be trained on the user's own dataset and can generate 4.5 million images per day. Since December, it has grown 25% and is now one of the most popular image generator tools.

• Gamma, now my favorite AI presentation generator due to its ability to generate entire PowerPoints with a simple prompt and offer a ChatGPT-like assistant for quick editing.
• Taskade, a platform that I mentioned and am currently using, and the new features they keep launching are very impressive. The platform not only provides AI features to create project plans but also offers AI Agents (similar to GPTs on ChatGPT). These agents can be trained to do the work for you. 

• Opus Clip, which allows you to convert long videos into engaging social content seamlessly. The tool utilizes AI to identify the clips with the highest potential to go viral. It even shows you how and why these clips could be successful.
• Motion, an app that promises to increase your productivity by 137% by combining an executive assistant and a task planner. It helps you plan your tasks, manage your schedule, and prioritize your most important tasks.  

This range of use cases aligns largely with a new Filtered report, which, as reported in HBR, found that when people share about the benefits of AI, they do that about use cases in:

• Technical Assistance & Troubleshooting (23%)
• Content Creation & Editing (22%)
• Personal & Professional Support (17%)
• Learning & Education (15%)
• Creativity & Recreation (13%)
• Research, Analysis & Decision Making (10%)

With all these tools at your disposal, to me, if in 2024, you’re not at least:

• An expert “SuperPrompter”
• Letting AI answer emails and arrange calendars
• Using AI platforms to create first drafts of documents

You are truly and seriously wasting time – and time is all we have.

Want to get started? Join our free one-hour “Lead With AI” webinar, featuring Christie Hoffman (Founder, Engagement Academy), Niko Groeneweg (CPTO / AI, Impala Hub), and Justin Vandehey (AI Partnerships, Culture Amp.)

The Bottom Line: How People Use AI

With the growing array of AI applications and the ongoing evolution of their capabilities, any that are not yet “AI-supercharged” need to take steps toward experimentation and adoption in professional and personal contexts.

AI will democratize access to advanced tools and services, making every working person a ‘business of one.’ When used well, AI isn’t a threat but a catalyst for undeniable independence.

And the busier you are at work, the more true that is. 

Jump in.

– Daan