True value of AI at work means better decisions, not job cuts: ADP Indias Rahul Goyal

reskilling, task-based learning and clear pathways into higher-value work,” he said.

India stands out as a global leader in this shift. A striking 41 per cent of employees in India report using AI nearly every day, and 4 out of 5 (80 per cent) employees use it at least multiple times a week — the highest levels recorded across all surveyed markets, the People at Work 2026 report said.

However, ADP Research’s findings also reveal a growing disconnect between AI adoption and perceived productivity.

While 30 per cent of daily AI users report being fully engaged, they are also four times more likely than non-users to say they feel less productive. This suggests that as AI takes over routine tasks, employees may feel their contributions are harder to quantify and evaluate.

For business leaders, the question is therefore not simply whether AI allows organisations to do more with fewer people. The more strategic question is how work should be redesigned so that technology and human capability complement one another.

“If businesses invest in helping employees evolve with technology, AI can become a force for greater workforce participation and productivity rather than division,” Goyal said.

Routine, repetitive, and operational activities are increasingly handled by AI tools. As operational tasks become automated, workers are empowered to spend more time on distinctly human competencies.

“Workers in knowledge-intensive roles tend to be more confident about the impact of AI on their careers than those in highly repetitive or task-based roles as AI is taking over routine activities while increasing the value of work that requires judgment, problem-solving, collaboration and oversight,” Goyal said.

Organisations need to provide visibility into career pathways, invest in continuous skill development, and help employees understand how their roles will evolve alongside AI. When that happens, AI becomes less of a source of uncertainty and more of an opportunity for growth, he said.

The opportunity is not simply to do the same work with fewer people. It is to enable people to spend less time processing information and more time applying expertise, interpreting insights and making better decisions, Goyal noted.

The People at Work 2026 features survey findings derived from ADP Research’s annual Global Workforce Survey of more than 39,000 working adults in 36 markets to uncover global workforce sentiment, an examination of how people are navigating the complexities of a changing world.