A new study from Prudential Financial lays bare a striking disconnect at the heart of AI adoption in the American workplace: 83% of employers want to use artificial intelligence for benefits guidance, but only 58% of employees say they would actually use it.
But don’t blame the tech. Scott Roth, vice president and chief technology officer of Prudential Group Insurance, told Insurance Business America that something else is creating the gap.
"Our research suggests this is less a technology adoption challenge and more a trust challenge," Roth said. "Employees are already using AI in their daily lives and increasingly for financial, health, and benefits-related decisions, but confidence in the technology hasn't kept pace with adoption."
The data comes from Prudential's 2026 Benefits & Beyond study, which surveyed 3,096 full-time US employees and 760 employers. The newly-released research, the second in the series, explores how rapidly accelerating AI adoption is reshaping the workplace and where the cultural infrastructure is struggling to keep up.
While 78% of employers view AI positively, only about half of employees feel the same way; a 27-point difference. But only 12% of employers say they distrust AI, compared to one in four employees. Privacy and security dominate employee concerns, cited by 52% of workers, edging out even accuracy and reliability worries (49%).
Just 24% of employees currently use AI for benefits guidance, despite the technology's widespread availability.
Meanwhile, employers are pressing ahead, with 40% of those who have concerns about AI in the benefits space citing the risk of sharing employees' personally identifiable information as their top worry, suggesting that even the most enthusiastic adopters recognize the stakes.
For Roth, bridging that gap demands a deliberate, multi-stakeholder approach.
"Trust is a shared responsibility," he said. "Employers, benefits providers, brokers, and technology partners all have a role to play in helping employees understand how AI is being used and how their information is protected. Organizations cannot assume trust will develop automatically."
One of the study's more counterintuitive results is that unionized employees are significantly more likely to use AI for benefits guidance than their salaried counterparts (40% compared to 27%).
Roth attributes this to the culture of member advocacy already embedded in union environments.
"In many union environments, there is already a strong culture of helping members understand their coverage, navigate benefits questions, and advocate for their needs," he said. "Tools that make information more accessible and easier to navigate may naturally resonate with those employees."
The finding highlights a broader theme running through the research, that employees are not opposed to AI on principle. They are looking for tools that genuinely help them make better decisions.
Sixty-five percent of employees say they are comfortable letting employers manage their personal data for benefits purposes (75% among those in technology roles), suggesting meaningful openness to personalization when the value exchange is clear.
"Employees are increasingly open to sharing information if it helps them receive more relevant guidance and support," Roth said. "But personalization and trust need to go hand in hand. Employers should ensure employees understand how their data is being used, what protections are in place, and how these tools are intended to help them make more informed decisions."
Roth is unequivocal that AI should augment human judgment, not replace it. The vision he describes is one where technology removes friction from a notoriously complex decision-making process, whether an employee is evaluating benefit options during open enrollment, preparing for a major life event, or simply trying to understand what their coverage actually includes.
"Benefits decisions are complex and highly personal, which makes them one of the clearest applications for AI," he said. "Good AI-powered guidance should help employees navigate those decisions with greater confidence – making guidance more accessible, timely, and relevant to their needs."
Prudential Group Insurance's approach, he says, centers on maintaining strong standards around privacy, transparency, and responsible data use, while using technology to improve the experience without losing sight of trust.
That philosophy aligns with how leading industry voices are approaching AI-driven benefits innovation; using tools to deliver better outcomes for clients while keeping human expertise at the center.
As AI becomes an increasingly common starting point for how employees research and make decisions, Roth sees the role of the benefits broker evolving but not diminishing.
"AI has the potential to streamline routine and administrative activities, allowing brokers to focus even more on strategic guidance and client relationships," he said. "Employers will increasingly look to brokers to help them evaluate new solutions, navigate implementation decisions, and ensure they're balancing innovation with employee trust."
Roth believes that the opportunity for benefits brokers is not to compete with technology, but to use it to deliver greater value. That view is consistent with broader industry analysis on the evolving relationship between AI tools and insurance intermediaries.
When asked what single thing the industry needs to get right before AI in benefits can reach its full potential, Roth is clear.
"Trust," he said. "Our research shows employee adoption of AI is already happening, but confidence in the technology is still catching up. For AI to reach its full potential, employees need to trust that their information is protected, that recommendations are accurate, and that the technology is being used responsibly."
He says that the key for organizations is to lead with transparency, invest in education, and demonstrate a commitment to protecting employee data, as they will be best positioned to realize the full promise of AI,
"Trust is what transforms AI from a promising technology into a tool employees are willing to rely on for important decisions,” Roth said.
The research suggests that the appetite for AI-powered guidance is real and growing, but that closing the trust gap is now the central challenge, with those who help their clients do it well likely to find themselves at the leading edge of a major industry shift.
