New research from Cornerstone highlights an AI income gap with higher earners far more likely to receive structured training compared to lower income earners.

• 80% of UK employees have used AI; 63% using it weekly or more. [1]
• 81% of employees that use AI to support their work say they don’t always disclose their use to managers or colleagues. [2]
• Only 33% of employees say they are often or always encouraged to use AI at work.
• 51% have never or rarely receive AI training and tools; just 8% always receive them.
• The pay gap in training support: 29% of those earning under £25k have never received AI training, vs 47% of those earning £55,001+.

LONDON – FINAL – November 19, 2025 – Research from Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., a leader in workforce agility solutions, reveals 80% of UK workers have used AI to support their work, however just over 4 in 5 of those that do don’t always tell a manager or colleagues that they’re using it. Among those who feel embarrassed or ashamed about using AI at work, the reasons include, fear of being seen as cheating (32%), fear of judgement (29%) and stigma around AI quality (28%).

The AI silence is not always due to embarrassment, shame, or fear of job loss. In fact, 38% of UK employees who use AI at work say they never feel embarrassed using it, citing time saved and increased productivity (55%), improved accuracy (49%), and enhanced creativity or idea generation (38%) as key benefits.

The data also reveals a growing divide in AI adoption and openness by income. Just 1 in 6 (16%) of those earning £15,000 or less saying they always or often receive AI training, compared with just under half (47%) of those earning £55,001+.

However, there is strong appetite for training across all levels: 46% of the lowest pay band are positive about receiving AI training, rising to 86% in the highest pay band. [3]

Dominic Holmes, Principal, Value & Strategy EMEA at Cornerstone, “It’s important that lower income workers, who are typically more skill-based, receive the training they deserve. The ‘deskless’ workforce should also have access to the same AI training as office-based employees. Without this formal support, lower-income workers are often left behind, relying on AI informally and without organisational guidance creating a clear AI skills gap.

“Businesses that invest in structured training and open dialogue around AI for all salaries, will not only bridge the skills gap but also build a more confident, transparent, and future-ready workforce.”

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[1] Net of Every day, 4-6 days a week, 2-3 days a week, Once a week in Q1

[2] Net of Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never in Q2

[3] Lowest pay band £15,000 or less per annum, Highest pay band £55,001 and over per annum

 

Methodology

This research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2000 UK employees (aged 18+). The data was collected between 27/10/25 - 30/10/25. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.

 

About Cornerstone

Cornerstone powers the potential of organisations and their people to thrive in a changing world. Cornerstone Galaxy, the complete AI-powered workforce agility platform, meets organisations where they are. With Galaxy, organisations can identify skills gaps and development opportunities, retain and engage top talent, and provide multimodal learning experiences to meet the diverse needs of the modern workforce. Approximately 7,000 organisations and 140 million users in 180+ countries use Cornerstone Galaxy to build high-performing, future-ready organisations and people today.

 

Media Enquiries

PAN Communications

CornerstoneUK@pancomm.com

 

Originally published by Cornerstone OnDemand. Find out more on Cornerstone's blog here.