The modern workplace is undergoing a quiet, unscripted pedagogical shift. According to a new survey of 1,000 U.S. workers conducted by Fractl for the American College of Education, employees are increasingly treating large language models as a private, ad-hoc training department. Sixty-three percent of respondents reported using AI to acquire skills that their formal, employer-led training programs failed to provide.
This shift is driven by more than just raw efficiency—though 46% of workers cite speed as a primary motivator. There is a distinct social dimension to this trend: nearly a third of employees use AI to learn new skills specifically to avoid admitting they don’t know something. This "stealth learning" is particularly prevalent among leadership, with 32% of managers admitting to using AI to bridge knowledge gaps on the down-low.
There is a clear cognitive dissonance in this new habit. While 65% of workers admit to worrying about the accuracy of AI-generated information, they continue to rely on it as a primary resource. For many, the trade-off is worth it: 69% say the technology has improved their productivity, and over half report feeling more confident in their roles. In the absence of agile corporate training, workers are choosing the risks of the chatbot over the vulnerability of asking for help.
With reporting from Fast Company.
Source · Fast Company
