AI Deepens Workplace Divide... Samil PwC Urges Fundamental Work Redesign

Samil PwC 2026 Global Workforce Survey
64% of Office Workers Use AI in Their Jobs
Clear Gaps in Job Satisfaction and Organizational Trust by Level of AI Utilization

While the use of artificial intelligence (AI) among office workers worldwide is rapidly increasing, a new survey shows that satisfaction with work, trust in the organization, and future outlooks diverge significantly depending on the level of AI utilization. Experts are advising that, for companies to turn AI investments into productivity innovation and growth, it is necessary not just to introduce the technology, but to fundamentally redesign work, roles, and operating models.

On September 30, Samil PwC announced the results of its “2026 Global Workforce Survey.” The survey covered 49,364 employees in 48 countries across the globe, including 1,013 respondents from Korea.

The findings show that 64% of all office workers reported using AI tools for work during the past 12 months, an increase of 10 percentage points from the previous year. The proportion of workers using generative AI daily also rose from 14% to 22% year over year. Furthermore, 59% of all respondents expected their use of AI tools at work to increase further over the next 12 months.

The benefits and opportunities arising from expanded AI usage have not been distributed equally among workers. The report classified employees into four groups based on their market competitiveness and AI utilization advantage: “AI Leading Talent,” who possess both superior AI skills and market competitiveness; “Core Workforce,” who play essential roles in operations and performance; “AI Pioneers,” who demonstrate strong intentions to use AI and show potential for growth; and “Essential Expertise Talent,” who have critical competencies for the organization but a comparatively lower level of AI usage.

The “AI Leading Talent” group, accounting for 14% of all respondents, displayed high adaptability to new technologies and an optimistic attitude. Among them, 85% expressed strong confidence in their job security. At the same time, 29% indicated a possibility of leaving their jobs within the next year.

In contrast, the “Core Workforce,” representing 56% of all employees, are responsible for the primary work of organizations such as customer service, operations, and service delivery, but appear relatively excluded from the benefits brought by change. This group’s confidence in job security hovered at about half, and their trust in management was also low. There was a marked gap in access to learning and capability development resources: nearly 80% of “AI Leading Talent” said they had access to such resources, while less than 40% of the “Core Workforce” reported the same.

Korea displayed a sharper workforce divide compared to the global average. The proportion of “AI Leading Talent” in Korea stood at 4%, significantly lower than the global average of 14%. On the other hand, the “Core Workforce” comprised 81% in Korea, well above the global average of 56%. The report analyzed that while the majority of employees at domestic companies are responsible for core work, their opportunities for growth and skills development through AI are relatively limited.

As employee experiences are becoming more polarized according to AI utilization, recommendations have emerged that companies should fundamentally redesign work processes and operating models around AI. In particular, rather than applying a uniform talent management approach to all employees, it is suggested that companies differentiate roles, learning, and compensation systems according to the characteristics of each workforce group. Further details of the report are available on the Samil PwC website.

Choi Changbeom, a partner in HR Strategy Consulting at PwC, also explained, “As Korean firms have a much higher proportion of core workforce than the global average, they must simultaneously initiate job-based learning and work redesign so that their existing employees can grow by leveraging AI. Strengthening managerial capabilities, rebuilding trust, and offering tailored support according to generation and career stage will be key factors in translating AI investments into real productivity and growth.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.