Most workers use AI on free plans, except in tech and science

Epoch AI looked at how US workers who use AI on the job actually get access, and the split is wider than the "everyone has a company ChatGPT seat" story suggests. Across all workers using AI, 46% rely on free plans and only 29% have an employer-provided subscription. The rest use a mix or their own paid plan. The averages hide a sharp divide by occupation.

In computer, engineering, and science roles, 67% get employer-provided access and just 21% work off a free tier. Everywhere else the picture flips. In service jobs, 57% use free plans and 17% have an employer subscription. In trades, production, and transport, 61% are on free plans and only 6% get one from their employer. Management, business, and arts land in between, at 45% free versus 41% employer-provided. So the workers most likely to have a company paying for the good tools are the ones already close to the technology, while most other people who have folded AI into their work are doing it on the free tier, with its weaker models and tighter limits.

Why it matters

If you set tooling budgets, this is a concrete gap to look at: employees outside engineering are often using AI daily on free plans, which caps both what they can do and what your organization can see about it. Paying for access where it already has traction may be a cheaper productivity lever than another pilot program.