‘The amazement is kind of wearing off a little bit’: Wharton survey reveals managers are learning what Gen Z already figured out

A new survey by Wharton Human-AI Research and GBK Collective reveals that managers at large U.S. companies are finding the rapid adoption of AI technologies less thrilling than younger generations. While 62% of managers now use AI daily, up from 46% last year, their excitement has dropped by eight percentage points to 51%. A quarter of managers describe themselves as skeptical, while 44% maintain a cautious approach.

Despite this shift in sentiment, a majority of managers (59%) still express optimism about the financial returns from AI, and 80% report positive financial returns, though only 28% deem those returns strongly positive. As the technology evolves, managers are finding that using AI is no longer a technological revolution but a constant hurdle to overcome.

Verification of AI-generated outputs has become a central focus, with seventy-two percent of managers shifting their attention from creating outputs to managing AI-generated outputs. This places verification at the forefront of managerial responsibilities. However, the shift in focus also places strain on middle managers and teams responsible for overseeing the transformation, as they struggle to prioritize effectively given AI's expanding capabilities.