The use of generative artificial intelligence has quickly become ubiquitous in various types of jobs over the past year, extending from information technology to areas like human resources, according to a survey of 800 business leaders large companies.

About 72% of decision-makers said generative AI is used at least once a week, up from 37% in 2023, the first year of the survey, according to one study. report by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and marketing consulting firm GBK Collective.

Adoption has accelerated in areas that had a slow start last year, including human resources, but also marketing and operations. In the legal and financial sectors, which were added to the survey this year, weekly usage is almost as prevalent as in IT.

Companies have moved beyond the initial hype and amazement around generative AI to more practical use, according to the report.

The most cited uses include writing and editing documents and proposals, with 64% of total respondents, followed closely by analysis and data analysis, with 62%. Other functions cited by more than half of decision makers include customer service and support, fraud detection and prevention, and financial forecasting and planning.

Many questions about generative AI remain unanswered, including how many people could lose their jobs due to its widespread adoption and how many new jobs will be created.

Nearly all respondents working in purchasing and supplies said generative AI will “enhance” their employees’ skills, while nearly nine in ten in finance believe it will replace skills, according to the investigation.

Overall, the survey shows a slight change in perception compared to last year. A slightly higher percentage of business leaders say generative AI will improve skills, while a slightly lower proportion believe it will replace skills in certain tasks.

The survey shows the gap is narrowing between the two extreme beliefs that AI is either a harbinger of catastrophe or a gateway to utopia, said Stefano Puntoni, a marketing professor at Wharton , co-author of the report and co-director of the AI ​​faculty at Wharton.

Organizations will continue to experiment with AI to determine how it works best for them, Puntoni said in an article about the report. “This is just the beginning.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)