The Three Waves of AI Adoption in the Workplace

Meet Frank, a Creative Marketing Manager at a mid-sized company. Frank isn’t just using AI—he’s built it into the very core of his daily workflow. His personal toolkit includes ChatGPT Pro and Grok for market research, 4o and Ideogram for design, Magnific for image enhancement, and Higgsfield for video work.

The results? His campaigns get to market faster, his visuals are sharper, and his presentations carry that extra polish that makes clients take notice. But here’s the thing—Frank’s colleagues have wildly different reactions to his AI use.

Some are intrigued and pepper him with questions. A few have started experimenting on their own. But many remain hesitant, unconvinced that AI can fit into their roles, or simply too busy to stop and learn.

Frank’s workplace perfectly illustrates what I call The Three Waves of AI Adoption.

Wave 1 – The Pioneers

  • Who they are: People like Frank—early adopters who dive in headfirst, exploring a wide variety of tools. They don’t wait for formal training; they just start experimenting and building skills.
  • Impact: Productivity leaps almost immediately. These individuals can deliver more in less time, and with higher quality. They often become informal “AI evangelists” inside the company.
  • Risk: They can feel like a one-person island if the rest of the team doesn’t keep pace, and they may face skepticism or pushback from those wary of change.

Wave 2 – The Explorers

  • Who they are: Colleagues who see the pioneers’ success and decide to test the waters. They might use AI to rewrite an email, brainstorm headlines, or quickly edit an image—but they’re still in the “dabbling” phase.
  • Impact: Some quick wins, but not yet the transformational gains the pioneers are seeing.
  • Risk: Without structured guidance, explorers can plateau—thinking they’ve “done AI” without realizing its deeper potential.

Wave 3 – The Holdouts

  • Who they are: The hesitant or resistant group. They may distrust AI’s accuracy, feel threatened by automation, or assume it doesn’t apply to their work.
  • Impact: Over time, the productivity gap between them and the pioneers widens, creating friction within teams.
  • Risk: In a company that doesn’t prioritize AI literacy, holdouts can unintentionally slow adoption and miss out on significant efficiency gains.

Closing the Gap Between Waves

To move more people from Wave 3 to Wave 2—and from Wave 2 to Wave 1—organizations need to:

  1. Make results visible: Show tangible examples of time saved, quality improved, or revenue generated.
  2. Lower the barrier to entry: Provide simple, ready-to-use prompts and step-by-step guides.
  3. Reward experimentation: Recognize employees who find creative ways to use AI in their daily work.

The takeaway: Frank’s story isn’t unique—this is playing out in offices everywhere. A few pioneers are catching the first wave, some explorers are paddling behind them, and many are still on the shore. The companies that thrive in the next few years will be the ones that help everyone grab a board and ride.

Where are you on the wave? Drop a comment below and let’s compare notes.