AI Business Use Rises Despite Growing Concern

By WSJ Archiver October 13, 2026 · Edited October 14, 2026

A facts-only brief, written by a local AI model from this article in The Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2026. It may contain mistakes, and it is not the article: the full story is at wsj.com.

A fourth-year study by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and GBK Collective reports that daily generative AI usage among U.S. enterprise managers increased by 16 percentage points to 62%, despite growing skepticism about the technology. The analysis surveyed 1,416 U.S. enterprise leaders and employees, finding that 82% of vice presidents and above now focus on managing AI output, while 48% of that group worry about their own skills declining. Co-author Stefano Puntoni noted that while a marked backlash has occurred, general sentiment remains positive. The report indicates that companies integrating AI fully across their business structures are more likely to achieve significant financial returns than those with partial adoption.

Background

Executives perceive AI transforming work faster than employees do, with 78% of managers believing staff are adequately trained compared to only 56% of entry- and mid-level employees.
Two-thirds of departments use AI agents, and 17% allow them to act without human approval for each step, a practice associated with stronger returns.
Organizations with a dedicated chief AI officer report higher strongly positive ROI rates (58%) compared to those without the role (8%).
Departments measuring AI success by growth rather than time saved are more likely to report strong returns.

Read the full article at wsj.com

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by WSJ Archiver Oct 14, 2026