PwC’s huge survey of 50,000 workers says AI is splitting employees into 4 distinct groups

Is AI turning you into a “frontrunner” or are you working in the “engine room?”

A huge survey carried out by consulting giant PwC found that AI is allowing a small group of workers to pull away from the rest of the workforce and dividing employees into four distinct categories.

The Big Four firm published its “2026 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey” on Tuesday. It surveyed almost 50,000 workers across 48 countries and 29 sectors between May and June 2026.

AI use is rising, the survey found. 64% of workers said they had used AI at work in the past 12 months, up 10 percentage points from a year earlier, and the share using generative AI…