Connected intelligence: The key to unlocking AI’s full potential

AI adoption is surging … but scattered

The momentum behind AI is undeniable. Every day, employees download new apps, platforms, tools, and services that use artificial intelligence to accelerate and ameliorate our work. At the executive level, it has become a fundamental part of our overarching strategy for success.

In fact, in our global survey of 1,000 full-time knowledge workers, we found that more than eight in 10 are using AI at work, whether it's GenAI, copilots, agents, or custom features.

Of those, 53% use one or two AI tools weekly, 38% use three to five, and 9% use more than five.

As you can imagine, this tool overload is leading to real integration headaches, learning fatigue, and context-switching challenges. This is confirmed by our respondents; only 34% strongly agree that their teams use AI in a consistent and aligned manner.

So what's driving this fragmentation? It appears to be a combination of factors, including:

1. Siloed adoption: Teams are experimenting independently, with 37% reporting no central strategy.
2. Lack of leadership guidance: 39% of respondents cite insufficient prioritization from the top.
3. Inconsistent enablement: Only a little over a third have received company-wide training.

These findings show that while we're racing to adopt the latest and greatest AI tools, we're failing to support the technology with true integration, shared context, and employee enablement. 

The result of this is a failure to fully realize the revolutionary power of AI. We are, in fact, very busy standing still.

Shadow AI is on the rise

One of the most interesting trends highlighted in our research is the rise of shadow AI, a byproduct of the scattergun approach to AI.

Our research revealed that one in five workers still doesn't use any formally introduced AI tool. In an age of AI-supercharged productivity, this leaves them playing chess without all their pieces.

Even if AI has been officially deployed, it's often poorly enabled and aligned. For example:

• Only 27% of organizations describe their AI efforts as “running smoothly” 
• Less than half have company-wide training, policies, or enablement
• 29% say tools are rolled out without enough onboarding

Some workers are taking matters into their own hands, with 42% using unapproved tools in the course of their work. They're reaching for consumer-grade tools or personal ChatGPT, Claude, or Midjourney accounts, usually to solve a specific problem fast. This signals a lack of structure, not a lack of enthusiasm. Employees want to use AI confidently and responsibly — but they need leadership to provide the right framework for doing so.

Until then, many more will resort to independent, disconnected, and frequently unregulated shadow AI. This comes with real risk, as Microsoft recently pointed out, “because sensitive company or customer data may not be protected effectively, leaving organizations vulnerable to data leaks, regulatory non-compliance, and increased risk of cyber-attack.”

Workers are craving better-connected tools

It's clear from our survey that knowledge workers are aware of the gaps — and missed opportunities — of fragmented AI adoption and poorly integrated solutions.

When we asked them what matters most in their AI tools, the answers were telling:

The fact that accuracy and speed are valued comes as no surprise. But context awareness and relevance are quickly rising in importance, as employees recognize that AI needs to understand their unique workflows, goals, and tasks in order to provide a genuinely helpful experience. 

That's why 33% of our respondents said they need stronger AI integration with core systems. 

What these workers are calling out for is connection — between AI tools, work management systems, and organizational data. 

As this statistic demonstrates, employees overwhelmingly believe that connected AI tools would be valuable (96%), with over half stating that they would transform the way they work.

Wrike's AI features have become indispensable in my daily workflow, enabling me to accomplish more in less time and with greater accuracy.

De Lisa Patterson, Creative Director

All of this adds up to connected intelligence, which means fewer silos, tighter workflows, and removing the friction that stands in the way of great work. It's the foundation for serious AI adoption and the key to moving from isolated, expensive trials to meaningful, scalable impact. 

At Wrike, we help organizations build the infrastructure that modern work actually needs. This is what enabled publisher Varsity Yearbook to cut proofing turnaround times by 42%, digital marketing agency Jellyfish to save 3-5 hours a week on individual workloads, and legal services firm Kalexius to halve the time they spent in status meetings. If you want to see how we can also transform your teams, reach out to our sales team to start a conversation.