GoTo, the leader in cloud communications and IT, today announced new findings from its research study: “The Pulse of Work in 2026: Opportunity, Risk, and Responsibility in an AI-Driven Workplace.” The report summarizes the findings of a survey of 2,500 global employees and IT leaders on AI use and sentiment, conducted in partnership with research firm Workplace Intelligence.

The findings underscore both the promise and pitfalls of workplace AI. Employees who use AI estimate they’re saving an average of 2.3 hours per day, highlighting the technology’s potential to boost productivity and reduce routine workloads. Yet without clear guardrails, employees are struggling to navigate the risks: 83% worry they could be blamed or even fired for an AI mistake, and 31% say they’ve hesitated to use AI for that reason. The challenge is especially acute for smaller organizations, with only 24% of small businesses and 36% of midsize companies reporting they have an AI policy in place compared to 53% of enterprises. That leaves the majority of small and midsize business (SMB) employees without clear guidance on how to use these tools safely, further increasing concerns.

The data also shows that fears over AI mistakes are not unfounded. About 1 in 4 IT leaders say AI has already made mistakes that negatively affected customers or clients (25%) or financially impacted their company (23%). Even for organizations not yet affected, nearly all IT leaders (91%) say they’re concerned AI will make a mistake that impacts their company in the future.

“Our research captures an inflection point for businesses,” said Rich Veldran, CEO of GoTo. “In the US alone, there’s an opportunity for more than $2.9 trillion* in potential efficiency gains to be captured from effective AI use. But without clear guardrails, that potential is being eroded by anxiety, misuse, and unaddressed risk. The organizations that close the gap with clear accountability structures, training, and policies that give employees confidence won’t just speed adoption, they’ll be the ones who pull ahead.”

Other key findings include:

  • While some workers fear being blamed for AI errors, others are taking advantage of its current limitations. 26% of employees say using AI lets them avoid any real accountability at work, and 25% say it feels safer to blame AI than to admit they made an error. Already, 17% of employees admit they’ve blamed AI for a mistake they made at work.

  • Even when AI policies are in place, little is being done to promote responsible use. 84% of workers feel their company could be doing more to encourage responsible AI use. As a result, 55% admit they don’t always review or double-check AI outputs, even for high-stakes tasks, and 43% say they’ve used AI outputs even though they felt they were low quality or suspected they might contain errors or fabricated information.

  • Job performance concerns and pressure to use AI are driving misuse of these tools. 60% of employees say they feel pressured to use AI to increase their productivity. Nearly half (47%) say AI use is considered during their performance reviews, and 42% say they’d rather risk making errors with AI than look “slow” or “replaceable.”

  • Some workers say their concerns about AI are being silenced — or they’re afraid to speak up. 31% say there’s unspoken pressure at work to trust AI and keep quiet about its mistakes. Alarmingly, 14% have reported AI errors to a manager or leader but were told to stay quiet about them.

  • SMBs are moving into agentic AI without the readiness to match. 46% of small businesses are already using or piloting agentic AI, compared to 70% of enterprises. At the same time, 38% of SMB IT leaders say they feel unprepared to manage it securely, more than double the enterprise rate of 14%.

  • As AI takes on more routine tasks, uniquely human skills become increasingly valuable. More than half (52%) of employees cite creative thinking and adaptability as the most important skills to maintain. Companies that invest in these skills alongside AI adoption will be primed to maximize AI’s value.

“We’re seeing a new kind of workplace pressure: employees feel they must use AI to avoid looking replaceable, but fear repercussions if it goes wrong. That combination is exactly how you get a workforce that uses AI recklessly,” said Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner at Workplace Intelligence. “Many organizations are accelerating AI adoption without providing the training, policies, and support employees need to use these tools effectively. The companies that close this gap will be best positioned to unlock AI’s full capabilities while building a more productive and confident workforce.”

To learn more about the research, download the full report: goto.com/pulse-of-work

Methodology

Research findings are based on a survey conducted by GoTo and Workplace Intelligence from November 2025 through January 2026. In total, 2,500 global workers completed the survey, including 1,250 full-time knowledge workers and 1,250 IT decision-makers. The survey targeted respondents in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, India, Mexico and Brazil.

About GoTo

GoTo, the leader in cloud communications and IT, is dedicated to powering a world of work without limits. Featuring flagship products GoTo Connect, LogMeIn Resolve, and LogMeIn Rescue, the GoTo portfolio offers secure, reliable, AI-enabled solutions that are simple to adopt for small and midsize businesses, and scalable to enterprises worldwide. GoTo continuously improves human experiences for AI-enabled workforces across hundreds of thousands of customers. The company is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with approximately $1 billion in annual revenue and 2,500 employees throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

About Workplace Intelligence

Workplace Intelligence is an award-winning thought leadership and research agency focused on the world of work. We help companies, and their executives, tell their workplace story in a meaningful, relevant, and impactful way using primary data, insights, and interviews. For more information go to our website and subscribe to our Insider newsletter.

* Assumes there are 102,525,000 knowledge workers in the U.S. (Source: Federal Reserve Economic Data) with an hourly wage of $44.08 (Source: Federal Reserve Economic Data), who could be saving 13 hours each week by using AI.

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