CEOs are mandating that employees use AI. They're hardly using it themselves

A new survey highlighted by Fortune exposes a stark contradiction in corporate AI strategy: CEOs are aggressively pushing artificial intelligence adoption among employees while largely abstaining from using it themselves. The data reveals that more than a quarter of corporate executives aren't using AI at all, and many CEOs are spending less time with the technology than their staff. This 'do as I say, not as I do' approach is driven by leaders' belief that AI will fundamentally transform business operations, from manufacturing to service delivery and workforce composition.

This executive-employee adoption gap threatens to create a significant strategic rift within organizations. Leaders are employing a mix of incentives and mandates to drive AI usage, expecting major productivity gains and employment shifts. However, their personal lack of engagement with the tools they're promoting risks deepening divides over how—and how much—AI will actually boost efficiency and alter job roles. The disconnect suggests executives may be underestimating the practical challenges and learning curves their employees face, potentially leading to misaligned expectations and implementation failures.

The situation, analyzed by researchers like Nicholas Bloom, points to a critical leadership failure in the AI transition. When decision-makers don't personally experience the technology's capabilities and limitations, they risk making poor strategic choices about investments, training, and organizational change. This gap could slow meaningful adoption, waste resources on unsuitable tools, and create employee resentment, undermining the very productivity gains CEOs are seeking.