New Research Reveals Widespread Use of Generative AI in Corporate Workplaces, But Lack of Policies and Concerns Over Critical Thinking
London, UK – In a little over two years, generative AI has become a common tool in corporate workplaces across the globe. However, new research commissioned by Wordtree, a UK-based corporate communications consultancy, suggests that many organizations lack policies and training to govern its use. The research, conducted between April and May 2025 among corporations in the UK and mainland Europe, also found that employees are worried about the quality of work produced by generative AI and its potential to hinder critical thinking.
According to the survey, 86% of corporate employees are using generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Copilot at work. While most use it to complete up to 25% of their written work, a small number rely on it for more than 75% of their written tasks. However, only a third of employees work in secured generative AI environments, and few organizations have policies or quality assurance processes in place.
One of the most significant concerns raised in the research is the potential threat generative AI poses to employees’ ability to think critically. Liz Doig, managing director of Wordtree, explains, “Generative AI can be an exceptionally useful tool in the workplace. However, for it to drive productivity, it needs to be deployed thoughtfully. What you don’t want is to create short-term efficiencies at the cost of medium and long-term resilience. And you certainly don’t want to be leaking confidential information or intellectual property because teams aren’t working in secured environments.”
The survey also revealed that after marketing materials, the top use of generative AI is to produce reports. While this may seem like a good use of the technology, it raises concerns about limiting critical thinking and innovation among employees. Doig adds, “While generative AI can produce convincing sentences, it is not capable of generating original thinking or analysis that leads to a competitive advantage.”
Moreover, the research found that 57% of survey respondents are not working in a secure environment or are unsure if they are, putting organizations at risk of exposing commercially sensitive information to the public.
Doig urges organizations to introduce generative AI strategies, policies, and training to safeguard critical thinking as a core skill. “Generative AI has the potential to create efficiencies and boost productivity in many types of organizations. But whether organizations are aware of them or not, it also poses real risks,” she says.
To learn more about the survey’s findings, download the full report here.
About Wordtree
Wordtree is a specialist consultancy that helps corporate organizations articulate and scale storytelling. The company creates the strategic building blocks of corporate narrative and empowers its clients to scale storytelling with human and AI training.
For media inquiries, please contact Wordtree at info@wordtree.com. For further information, please contact Liz Doig at liz@wordtree.com or +44 (0)7581 192123.
Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/