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With GenAI adoption in the US accelerating at an unprecedented rate of nearly 40%—faster than previous tech transformations like computers or the internet—the urgency for companies to embrace AI has never been greater.
The number of companies with fully modernized, AI-led processes has nearly doubled, according to recent data from Accenture, rising from 9% in 2023 to 16% in 2024. These organizations are not only leading the pack but also achieving substantial results—2.5x higher revenue growth, 2.4x greater productivity, and 3.3x more success at scaling generative AI use cases—highlighting the significant competitive advantage of investing in a workforce ready and able to embrace AI today.
While promising, this all begs the question: why is it that less than 20% of companies have adopted AI-led processes? What is slowing them down?
Two mindsets, two futures
To better understand how AI is transforming work and what workers need from their managers and organizations to make the transition, BetterUp Labs has partnered with Stanford's Social Media Lab to track over 12,000 workers across 18 industries. . The research reveals two mindsets in the Age of GenAI: we call them Pilots and Passengers. Pilots tend to be in the driver's seat. They use AI tools as co-pilots and thrive because they embrace optimism and agency. Passengers, meanwhile, are simply along for the ride and tend to follow the lead of others.
The Pilot mindset is one of the strongest predictors of AI usage. The more agency and optimism people have about AI, the more likely they are to use AI at work. Pilots are 6.5x more likely to use AI at work once a week or more. Pilots tend to have high productivity in general, and even higher productivity when they are using AI at work. Pilots also report being more curious about and confident in AI usage, and thus have a higher likelihood of experimenting with AI in innovative ways.
But only 28% of the workforce is classified as Pilots, which means that 72% of workers aren’t working with the optimism, agency, or confidence needed to make the most of this technological inflection point. So how can an organization reliably transform more Passengers into Pilots? And what economic impact might that have?
Four ways to increase the growth mindset
Manager coaching
We know many things drive employee mindsets: organizational culture, peers, and coworkers. But the biggest lever for shifting mindsets are frontline managers. In fact, our data showed that Pilot managers are almost 3 times as likely to have Pilot teams. Numerous studies show that manager emotion and their attitudes have a ripple effect. When leaders have high agency and high optimism, so do their reports. Additionally, employees who perceive their managers as warm are more likely to adopt AI at work, with team members who see their managers as approachable and supportive being 1.5x more likely to use AI.
Continuous learning and coaching are critical for manager development in today’s rapidly changing technological landscape, and increasing agency and optimism is highly coachable. Those two key components of the Pilot mindset can improve in as little as four months with coaching. Regular coaching has been proven to help employees build both technical and soft skills, preparing them for future challenges and opportunities. In particular, increases in self-awareness and a growth mindset act as powerful levers of growth in agency, and are associated with improved goal setting as well as the ability to see multiple paths to achieve a goal.
Framing and Communication
Leaders should frame AI as a tool. In our experimental research, we saw a major improvement in AI adoption from those who were introduced to AI in terms of its machine-like strengths, as opposed to its human-like qualities. In one AI-based roleplay experience (RPG), participants achieved better outcomes when the brief introduction to the task focused on the non-judgemental nature, vast source of knowledge, and accessibility of AI.
Organizational communication
Our research also found that communication from an organization’s leaders matters. Employees that report being satisfied with their leadership's communication about why they should employ AI in their work are 21% more likely to be Pilots. Moreover, participants having supervisors or organizations that encourage the use of AI tools are more likely to be Pilots.
Coaching on what it means to be a Pilot over Passenger
A brief educational intervention explaining what the Pilot mindset is had a profound effect on people’s approach to using AI. Illustrating to people the importance of agency and optimism helped them be more creative with AI, and use their judgement more when using it. Those who didn’t receive the education were more likely to simply copy and paste the AI’s output. In other words, a small dose of education on what the Pilot mindset is can increase perceptions of ownership, ensuring AI is seen as a tool in an employee toolbox to augment, rather than displace, one’s own creativity.
AI has changed what we want and need from managers. This is a major evolutionary moment for leadership. Understanding that shift is possibly the most important job for people leaders today.
To find out more about Pilots, Passengers and our groundbreaking AI research, download our full research-backed insights report “The next evolution in management.” Or drop by to learn more about how to quickly scale your coaching program with our sophisticated, human-powered tools.
