Artificial intelligence has created a striking paradox. Consider that in a 2023 Gartner survey, 79% of corporate strategists said that the use of AI, automation, and analytics would be critical to their success over the next two years. But only 20% of them reported using AI in their daily activities.

AI’s success hinges not only on its capabilities, which are becoming more advanced every day, but on people’s willingness to harness them. And as the Gartner findings suggest, AI is not getting great traction with users.

Unfortunately, most people are pessimistic about how it will shape the future. Seventy-seven percent of Americans are concerned that its adoption will cause job losses within the next 12 months, according to research by Forbes Advisor. Eighty percent think AI has increased the likelihood that their personal data will be used in malicious ways by criminals. And it gets worse: A poll conducted by YouGov found that nearly half of Americans believe that one day AI will attack humanity. With this much cynicism about AI, getting workers to willingly, eagerly, and thoroughly experiment with it is a daunting task. Read this great HBR article to find out more.