Companies Assign Middle Managers Role in Promoting Employee AI Use

This responsibility comes as organizations seek to show efficiency gains from AI investments. In recent weeks, reports have detailed efforts at firms like Disney and JPMorgan to monitor and incentivize AI adoption through managerial oversight. Middle managers are flagging low usage rates, creating dashboards to track progress, and suggesting practical applications for AI tools.

For instance, at JPMorgan, a software engineer reported that his manager discusses AI in daily standups and weekly meetings, emphasizing the need for better outcomes with the tools. The engineer noted that these conversations have become more urgent, with managers aiming to avoid low rankings in AI usage.

At Disney, managers are reviewing team members' AI tool usage, such as Cursor and Claude, via an AI Adoption Dashboard that displays token use. One manager messaged a software engineer noting only one use in the prior 30 days and requested an explanation, including details on access, challenges, and ways to increase regular use.

The manager offered to provide better training or guidance based on the feedback. Companies like Coinbase have cited AI as a factor in recent staff reductions, announcing a 14% cut on Tuesday to trim management layers and leverage AI.

Firms have rolled out AI tools over the past few years, urging experimentation and sometimes mandating use, but adoption has been inconsistent. McKinsey reported in April that while AI investments are increasing, sustained performance impacts remain elusive.

Julie Bedard, a managing director at Boston Consulting Group focusing on talent strategy and AI, stated that managers play a critical role in this process. Kathy Gersch, CEO of the change-management firm Kotter, said that after initial rollouts, some leaders observed insufficient results, leading to pushes deeper into the organization.

This shift moves AI promotion from executive announcements to individual manager check-ins and performance reviews. For managers already handling increased workloads following organizational flattening, this adds to their responsibilities.