Artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from novelty to necessity in American workplaces, with new data showing employees are increasingly relying on the technology to complete core job functions.
“AI is becoming a mainstream work tool,” researchers wrote in a report from Epoch AI and Ipsos, based on a survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults conducted in March. Half of employed Americans who used AI in the previous week said they used it at least as much for work as for personal tasks, a signal that the technology is now embedded in daily workflows rather than used on the margins.
The report shows that AI is not only being adopted but is actively changing job responsibilities. Among workers who rely on AI for job-related tasks, 27% said the technology has replaced some of their existing duties, including routine processes like summarizing documents. At the same time, 21% reported taking on new responsibilities made possible by AI, such as work that previously required specialized technical skills.
Researchers found that these shifts often happen independently. Some workers reported losing tasks to automation without gaining new ones, while others said AI allowed them to expand their roles without replacing existing duties. The findings offer an early national snapshot of how jobs are being redefined at the task level rather than eliminated outright.
Access to paid AI tools is a major driver of workplace use. Among employed users, 38% of those using free versions said they relied on AI for work at least as much as personal use. That share rises to 58% for those who pay for subscriptions and reaches 76% among workers whose employers provide access to paid tools.
The rapid integration of AI into professional settings is especially visible in Washington, D.C., where a September 2025 survey by Anthropic found the District leads the nation in per-capita AI use, outpacing technology hubs such as California and Washington state. According to that report, usage of Claude, Anthropic’s AI platform, is 3.82 times higher in D.C. than expected based on its share of the working-age population, with Utah close behind at 3.78 and California at 2.13.
Virginia ranked fifth and Maryland 13th, placing the broader region among the country’s most active AI users.
Anthropic said the District’s concentration of white-collar work helps explain the trend. D.C. users were 2.69 times more likely to use AI for writing-related tasks, including drafting and editing documents, with other common uses including legal assistance, academic research and business consulting.
The report also found D.C. users were more likely to rely on AI for job searches and compiling resumes, reflecting a competitive employment landscape shaped in part by layoffs across the federal workforce.
Rini Sampath, a mayoral candidate in the District, said she uses AI as part of her campaign work.
“Our team uses AI to do research, keep us prepared, and challenge our thinking. It’s how we vibe coded our new prototype DC 311 app (which you can check out at riniformayor.com/311), and how we’ll continue to innovate for D.C. residents on the campaign trail and in the Mayor’s office,”she said. “We’re running a tech-first, data-driven campaign, and that means utilizing new systems to deliver results.”
Nationally, the Epoch AI survey found that half of all U.S. adults reported using AI tools in the past week, underscoring how quickly the technology has spread into everyday life. Researchers said that while many people still use AI primarily for personal purposes, workplace adoption is accelerating and already substantial for a large share of employees.
The report concludes that the long-term impact of artificial intelligence will be driven by the accumulation of small, daily changes in how people work rather than a single disruptive moment.
“AI use is now widespread and its role in work is already substantial for many,” the researchers wrote.