AI could add $6 trillion to global GDP if productivity rises 5%: Cognizant

Artificial intelligence could unlock approximately $6 trillion in additional global GDP if worldwide labour productivity increases by 5%, according to a new study by Cognizant. The research identifies a gap between employees’ willingness to use AI and their ability to apply it effectively at work.

The study, New Frontiers, New Frictions: Mapping the DNA of AI Adoption, calls this divide the “Activation Gap”. It suggests organisations must address inadequate tools, limited customisation and gaps in training to translate employee interest into measurable business outcomes.

According to Cognizant, four in five employees want to use AI more than their current jobs permit. However, between 72% and 82% of workers across different employee groups say their existing AI tools do not meet their needs.

Employees want greater access to AI at work

The findings suggest employee willingness is not the primary obstacle to workplace AI adoption. Instead, organisations may be struggling to provide tools that fit employees’ roles, workflows and operational requirements.

Ravi Kumar S, Chief Executive Officer of Cognizant, said employees were ahead of employers in their readiness to use the technology.

“Our research finds that people are ahead of their employers,” Kumar said, highlighting the need to adapt AI tools to the specific requirements of individual teams.

The study identifies several findings relevant to organisations seeking to expand AI adoption:

• Four in five employees want to use AI more than their current jobs allow.

• Up to 82% of workers say their existing AI tools do not meet their needs.

• 72% of employees fall into two groups, Navigators and Stalwarts, which the study identifies as important opportunities for targeted adoption efforts.

• Disposition is roughly six times more predictive of AI behaviour than an employee’s position in the organisational hierarchy, according to the research.

The study defines Navigators as employees willing to use AI but constrained by organisational barriers. Stalwarts, meanwhile, need a clearer business case or reason to adopt the technology.

Poorly suited tools limit AI adoption

Cognizant’s findings indicate that dissatisfaction with workplace AI tools extends beyond employees who are reluctant to use the technology. Even highly active users report limitations in the tools available to them.

Across employee groups, between 72% and 82% said their current AI tools failed to meet their requirements. The most satisfied group, known as Precisionists, reported satisfaction of just 28%.

Among Accelerators, who use AI heavily, and Architects, who adopt it quickly, 33% identified missing context and limited customisation as the leading factors restricting their use.

Surya Gummadi, President of Cognizant Americas, said dissatisfaction with workplace AI tools affected both highly engaged users and employees less inclined to adopt the technology.

The findings point to the importance of integrating AI into existing workflows and tailoring its capabilities to the tasks employees perform, rather than relying exclusively on generic tools.

AI training remains uneven across employee groups

The study also identifies differences in how employees experience and complete AI training. Architects reported stronger training outcomes than Holdouts, the group least inclined to use AI.

The research found:

• Architects: 81% rated their AI training as effective, while 83% completed it.

• Holdouts: 56% rated their training as effective, while 53% completed it.

• Architects using unsanctioned tools: 87% said they turned to tools outside approved workplace options when those tools failed to meet their needs.

The findings suggest training alone may not resolve adoption challenges. Even employees who complete training and consider it effective may turn to unauthorised alternatives when approved systems do not support their work adequately.

For employers, the challenge involves improving access to suitable tools alongside training that reflects employees’ different levels of experience, confidence and business requirements.

How AI adoption could translate into economic gains

Cognizant estimates a 5% increase in global labour productivity could add around $6 trillion to world GDP, an amount comparable to the size of Japan’s economy.

The figure represents a potential economic gain associated with higher productivity, rather than a forecast of GDP growth guaranteed by AI adoption. The study positions better workplace integration, context-specific tools and targeted training as possible ways to help organisations capture some of the opportunity.

Kumar said companies would need to provide tools suited to employees’ work while improving training programmes to deliver practical results.

The research places responsibility on employers to connect AI investment with the conditions required for effective adoption. For businesses, the next challenge is to turn employee interest into sustained use, measurable productivity improvements and tangible operational outcomes.