AI risks creating a two-tier workforce unless employers bring frontline workers into the conversation 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the workplace, promising to improve productivity, automate routine tasks and help employees work more efficiently. But while many organisations are accelerating their AI strategies, new research suggests a significant proportion of the workforce risks being left behind. 

According to a report from employee experience platform Workvivo, frontline employees are three times less likely than desk-based colleagues to use AI regularly, raising concerns that organisations could unintentionally create a two-tier workforce where the benefits of AI are concentrated among office workers while frontline teams miss out.  

The findings arrive at a critical moment for employers. AI is increasingly being positioned as a solution to improve productivity, employee experience and organisational performance. Yet much of the conversation continues to focus on knowledge workers, despite the fact that frontline employees make up the majority of the global workforce. 

For organisations investing heavily in AI, the report argues that the challenge is no longer simply adopting new technology. It is ensuring every employee has the opportunity to benefit from it. 

The research found just 32 per cent of frontline workers use AI regularly or occasionally at work, compared with 62 per cent of desk-based employees. Meanwhile, almost one in three (31 per cent) frontline workers said they never use AI as part of their role.  

Perhaps more significantly, the report suggests this disparity is not driven by resistance to AI. 

Instead, many frontline employees simply do not believe the technology is relevant to their role. One in four identified this as the biggest barrier preventing greater AI use, suggesting employers have yet to demonstrate how AI can support everyday frontline work rather than simply office-based tasks.  

For several years, workplace wellbeing has focused on creating more personalised employee experiences, improving communication and ensuring support reaches every part of the workforce. The report suggests AI could either accelerate that progress or widen existing inequalities, depending on how organisations choose to implement it. 

An inclusion challenge rather than a technology challenge 

One of the report’s strongest messages is that the frontline AI gap is fundamentally an inclusion issue. 

Only 28 per cent of frontline employees said their organisation actively encourages them to use AI, compared with 55 per cent of desk workers. Similarly, while half of desk-based employees said they receive clear guidance on using AI in their role, fewer than one in three frontline workers reported the same level of support.  

Without clear communication, organisations risk sending an unintended message that AI is designed primarily for office-based employees. The consequences extend beyond productivity. 

The report warns that inconsistent guidance can encourage employees to turn to personal AI accounts rather than approved workplace tools, creating potential risks around security, governance and misinformation. Frontline workers were found to be significantly more likely to access AI through personal accounts, highlighting the importance of providing clear policies and appropriate workplace systems.  

Frontline workers are not afraid of AI 

Contrary to some assumptions, the research found little evidence that frontline employees are resisting AI because they fear it will replace their jobs. 

Instead, many simply feel disconnected from the technology. 

Only 40 per cent of frontline workers said they had a positive view of AI at work, compared with 59 per cent of desk workers, while 42 per cent believed AI would improve the way they do their job, versus 63 per cent of office-based employees.  

Interestingly, frontline workers were actually less likely than desk workers to worry about AI making their role redundant. 

The report argues this suggests employers have an opportunity to build engagement by demonstrating practical, role-specific applications rather than focusing solely on the technology itself. 

As organisations continue to develop AI strategies, the challenge may be less about convincing employees to embrace AI and more about helping them understand why it matters to their day-to-day work. 

Moving beyond office-based AI 

Many workplace AI initiatives have so far centred on traditional office activities, such as drafting documents, summarising meetings and analysing data. 

The report argues this office-first approach overlooks significant opportunities to support frontline teams. 

For employees working in healthcare, retail, manufacturing, logistics and hospitality, AI could help provide faster access to policies and procedures, answer customer queries, reinforce safety guidance, support multilingual communication and streamline shift handovers.  

The research found that frontline employees who do use AI report many of the same benefits as desk workers, including improved productivity, opportunities to develop new skills, reductions in repetitive tasks and better work-life balance.  

This suggests the issue is not whether AI can benefit frontline employees, but whether organisations are designing solutions that reflect the realities of frontline work. 

Making AI part of the employee experience 

The report concludes that successful AI adoption depends as much on employee experience as technology. Rather than introducing AI as another standalone tool, organisations are encouraged to embed it into existing workflows, provide role-specific training and create opportunities for employees to ask questions and share feedback. 

Workvivo recommends employers focus on five priorities: making AI relevant, understandable, safe, empowering and accessible for every employee. That includes demonstrating practical use cases, investing in skills development, communicating transparently about AI’s role in the workplace and ensuring tools are available wherever work happens rather than only on office desktops.  

As organisations continue investing in artificial intelligence, the report suggests the biggest question facing employers is no longer whether AI will transform work but instead whether that transformation will benefit the whole workforce. 

In the race to adopt AI, the organisations that gain the greatest long-term advantage may not be those deploying the most sophisticated technology, but those ensuring no employee is left behind.