PFU Study | II AI Barometer

• Perception of AI: threat or ally

Planeta Formación y Universidades has published a new edition of its Artificial Intelligence Barometer, prepared by the consulting firm GAD3. This edition focuses on analysing how both workers and managers in different sectors perceive and use artificial intelligence, offering a broad view of its impact on the workplace.

The results show that, for 37% of managers, AI has become a key ally in automating routine tasks, optimising processes and facilitating internal management. Among employees, however, a more ambivalent perception prevails: 37% consider AI to be both an opportunity and a risk, which highlights the existence of certain doubts and fears about these technologies. In this group, many recognise that AI streamlines work, but they also express concern about the risk it may pose to the stability of their jobs. Among executives, this negative feeling is somewhat lower, at 34%.

• Education and audiovisual sectors focus on content creation; health and business focus on information

The study also highlights differences in the degree of adoption of artificial intelligence across sectors. The audiovisual sector leads the way in the use of these tools: 71% say they have used them regularly or occasionally in the last 12 months. Education ranks second, with 67% integration. However, other sectors are slower to adopt AI: only 42% in the health sector and 41% in the business sector have begun to integrate AI into their professional activities.

The barometer also analyses the contexts in which AI is being used in each professional sector. In education, the most common applications focus on content generation (46%) and training and learning support (43%). In contrast, in the health sector, the most widespread use is as a means of information, indicated by 41% of respondents. The audiovisual sector, for its part, mainly uses AI for content creation (38%), although it also integrates it into design, multimedia, and image processing and interpretation tasks. In the business environment, the most common use is as a source of information (42%), followed by entertainment (33%).

Despite these advances, the study reveals that almost half of those surveyed say they do not need AI in their current tasks, which is the main reason for not adopting it. In addition, one in three workers say that their company does not encourage the use of these tools, while 22% admit that they have not received adequate training to use them. These data show that, although AI is gaining ground in various fields, there are still significant barriers to its full integration into the workplace.

 

• Lack of knowledge and technical skills as the main barrier in all sectors

More than half of those surveyed indicate that the main requirement for starting to use AI is to receive specific training, followed by technical support or guidance (23%) and having time to explore its use (21%). These data show that learning and training are key to driving wider adoption.

In terms of barriers, the lack of technical knowledge and skills appears to be the most significant in all sectors, especially in education (57%) and the audiovisual sector (51%). In healthcare, the main limitation is perceived to be low applicability (28%), while in the audiovisual sector, the biggest obstacle is budget (39%). The education sector also reflects marked internal resistance (24%), while in companies the picture is more heterogeneous, with less consensus and a certain openness to considering that there are no major impediments.

Perceptions of the benefits vary depending on the sector. AI is mainly associated with innovation (50%) and efficiency (47%). In healthcare, in addition to efficiency (40%), its ability to improve decision-making (26%) is valued. In the audiovisual sector, productivity (69%) and cost reduction (48%) stand out, while in businesses the benefits are more evenly distributed, with productivity (41%) and innovation (32%) being the most recognised aspects.

• Impact on salaries and employment rates

Among the workers and managers surveyed, there are still fears associated with job cuts, cited by 39% of respondents, and salary reductions, cited by 20%, although there is also talk of new opportunities linked to the emergence of necessary professional profiles. The transformation of jobs is perceived as the most immediate effect, especially among middle managers and technicians, where a significant redefinition of roles is expected.

 

Download the full report from the website at Planeta Formación y Universidades

Technical details: 

Universe:

• • • Employees in the health, business, audiovisual and education sectors.
    • Executives, CEOs or decision-makers in companies in Spain. Sectors: healthcare, business, audiovisual and education.

Geographical scope: National (Spain). Non-proportional fixation in Catalonia.

Information collection procedure: Computer-assisted online interview (CAWI).

Sample size:

• • • Workers: 882 interviews.
    • Managers: 493 interviews.

Sampling error:

• • • Workers: ±3.4%.
    • Managers: ±4.5%

Duration of interview: approximately 7 minutes.

Fieldwork dates: 8 May to 3 June 2025.

Questionnaire: Prepared by GAD3 and validated by Planeta Formación y Universidades.