Sophistication in GenAI Use: Field Evidence from a Large Firm

2026-08-27

AI Summary

研究通过分析一家大公司713,564条员工与生成式AI交互的数据，探讨了不同职能和层级员工使用生成式AI的复杂度差异及影响因素。

Abstract

We study how sophistication in generative AI (genAI) use varies among the back-office workforce of a large firm. Using proprietary data, we observe 713,564 employee prompts and their corresponding large language model responses from nearly 4,000 back-office employees across 15 functional areas over eight months in 2025. We document three main findings. First, senior employees exhibit more sophisticated genAI use, consistent with domain expertise complementing genAI capabilities. Second, sophistication varies considerably across functions and is highest in Strategy, Digital Innovation, and Project Management, three groups that share a focus on firmwide strategic initiatives and organizational change. Third, we observe neither improvements in sophistication over time nor lasting improvements following formal AI training, suggesting that sophisticated use can be difficult to change. Together, our study provides measures of and insights into sophisticated genAI use that managers can use to improve outcomes and that researchers can use in future research.

Problem

• generative AI
• sophistication
• back-office workforce
• functional areas
• employee prompts

Innovation

• sophisticated genAI use
• domain expertise
• functional areas