IT professionals are upbeat about the potential of AI, yet new research shows there’s a significant gap between hype and real world adoption rates.
Findings from Auvik’s 2026 IT Trends Report show 70% of respondents are “optimistic” or “very optimistic” about the impact of AI on IT operations in the near future.
Notably, the report found appetite for AI tools is strong among frontline IT staff, particularly those in help desk roles. Auvik said this sends a clear signal that workers seek assistance in reducing manual toil and carrying out repetitive tasks.
However, despite growing demand, AI is rarely used in core operations, according to Auvik, with just 5% of respondents using it in daily activities.
“For most teams, AI remains aspirational,” the study notes. “It is something being discussed, tested, or planned for rather than embedded into day-to-day workflows.”
A key factor behind the mismatched hype and adoption rates is a lack of readiness and relevant training, according to Auvik. Nearly half (49%) of respondents reported having limited available time for skills development and lengthy adoption projects while balancing core responsibilities.
“Almost half of respondents spend between 10 and 20 hours per week handling end-user tickets, leaving limited time to explore new tools, experiment with AI, or pursue training,” the report states.
AI governance questions need answered
IT teams are also still hashing out the finer details on AI implementation, the study found, particularly around policy and governance.
Around 40% of respondents told Auvik their company has no established AI policy, or is still in the process of developing one, for example.
Perception of AI adoption is also another lingering problem for IT teams. More than three-quarters (76%) of IT leaders believe their organization has an AI policy, yet only 42% of frontline workers agree they have concrete plans in place.
“AI is everywhere in IT conversations right now, but our data shows that enthusiasm is running well ahead of readiness,” said Doug Murray, CEO of Auvik.
“When three-quarters of IT leaders believe they have an AI policy but fewer than half of help desk staff say the same, that’s an implementation problem versus a policy problem.”
“Another source of shadow IT”
Murray noted that discussions over governance are critical in AI adoption projects, otherwise the technology risks “becoming just another source of shadow IT” – and that’s a problem teams are still grappling with.
The use of unauthorized applications and tools is growing, Auvik found, posing serious challenges for IT teams. Indeed, 20% of respondents said shadow IT is now the “single most underestimated” risk by business leadership figures.
“61% of respondents say they discover unauthorized SaaS applications at least monthly, with 23% reporting weekly discoveries, and 8% say they have no idea how many SaaS applications are in use across their organization at all,” the company said.
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