San Francisco – A new survey by WRITER, an enterprise AI agent platform, in partnership with Workplace Intelligence, indicates that 60% of companies intend to lay off employees who do not adopt artificial intelligence tools. The "AI Adoption in the Enterprise" study, which surveyed 2,400 global employees and C-suite leaders, highlights a growing divide in the workforce as businesses push for AI integration.
The report, released on April 7, 2026, found that 77% of executives warned that employees refusing AI proficiency would not be considered for promotions or leadership roles. Furthermore, 92% of C-suite leaders reported actively cultivating a new class of "AI elite" employees, with 87% noting these "AI super-users" are at least five times more productive. The findings underscore the increasing pressure on workers to adapt to evolving technological landscapes.
May Habib, CEO and Co-Founder of WRITER, cautioned against this approach, stating: > "Layoffs are not a viable AI strategy." Habib emphasized that successful AI transformation is fundamentally about people, advocating for redesigning operations with human-agent collaboration at the core. She believes the future belongs to companies that empower employees with agent-building capabilities.
Despite the push for AI adoption, the survey identified significant challenges for C-suite executives. These include lagging return on investment (ROI), with nearly half (48%) feeling AI adoption has been a "massive disappointment," and widespread strategy gaps. Additionally, 69% of the C-suite reported AI-related layoffs, yet 39% admitted lacking a formal revenue-driving strategy for AI tools.
Internal tensions are also rising, with 54% of C-suite respondents indicating that AI adoption is "tearing their company apart," and 56% reporting power struggles and disruption. Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner at Workplace Intelligence, noted that > "the gap between super-users and laggards is widening fast," with AI-proficient employees being significantly more likely to receive promotions and pay raises. The survey also revealed instances of employee sabotage, with 29% of workers admitting to undermining company AI strategies.
