The available evidence does not establish that people who build AI systems work remotely less often than people who use AI at work. No study we could find compares the two groups on actual remote status, in the same country, over the same period. What the data does show is narrower: workers in roles that could be done remotely use AI more often than workers in roles that could not. That points in the direction the headline suggests, but it describes job type, not where people actually sit. Treat the headline as a testable hypothesis, not a finding.
Start with what “AI jobs” can mean
Most of the confusion in this topic comes from the phrase “AI jobs,” which can refer to three different populations. Each is measured differently, and only one of the sources below touches on remote work at all.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
| Group | Who is in it | Best available measure | Is actual remote status measured? |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI builders | People who develop AI models or systems, such as model development, machine learning engineering, or AI infrastructure | Not stated: none of the sources cited here isolates this group | Not stated |
| AI users | Workers in other occupations who use AI tools as part of their work | Pew Research Center survey of U.S. workers, fielded October 2024, published February 25, 2025 | Not in the figures cited; Pew does not report remote status for these results |
| AI-skill job postings | Job advertisements that list AI skills as a requirement | PwC 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer, covering 2024 postings | No; PwC does not measure remote availability |
A headline that compares “the people building AI” with “the people using it” therefore needs two groups that the current data does not separate cleanly. The sources below each measure one piece of the picture.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallHow common AI use at work is
Pew Research Center’s February 2025 report, based on an October 2024 survey, is the most direct measure of how many U.S. workers use AI on the job. It found that 16% of workers said at least some of their work was done with AI. Most workers reported little or no use. The report states: “Overall, most American workers (63%) say they don’t use AI much or at all in their job.” The 63% figure is self-reported, so it reflects how workers describe their work, not an objective audit of their tasks.
Use was also uneven across occupations. Pew reported that 63% of AI users worked in jobs involving data processing, compared with 42% of non-users, and that 12% of AI users worked in information and technology, compared with 5% of non-users. These categories describe the kind of work people do. They do not show how many of those workers build AI systems, and they say nothing about where those workers are located.
Remote-capable is not the same as remote
The clearest link between AI use and remote work comes from Gallup’s 2025 U.S. employee data, which reports through Q4 2025. Gallup found that 66% of employees in remote-capable roles used AI at work at least a few times a year, compared with 32% of employees in roles not considered remote-capable. The key word is “capable.” Gallup classifies a role by whether its work could reasonably be done remotely. It does not count the employees who actually work from home.
Actual home working is measured elsewhere. The Federal Reserve Board’s May 2025 report on households in 2024 found that 41% of workers had worked from home at least some of the time in the prior week, and 18% worked entirely from home. Remote work also varied by education. In the same report, 26% of workers with at least a bachelor’s degree worked entirely from home, compared with 9% of workers with a high school degree or less.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →| Measure | Figure | Population and date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Used AI at work at least a few times a year, remote-capable roles | 66% | U.S. employees, 2025 data through Q4 2025 | Gallup |
| Used AI at work at least a few times a year, roles not remote-capable | 32% | U.S. employees, 2025 data through Q4 2025 | Gallup |
| Worked from home at least some of the time in the prior week | 41% | U.S. workers, 2024 | Federal Reserve Board |
| Worked entirely from home | 18% | U.S. workers, 2024 | Federal Reserve Board |
| Worked entirely from home, bachelor’s degree or higher | 26% | U.S. workers, 2024 | Federal Reserve Board |
| Worked entirely from home, high school degree or less | 9% | U.S. workers, 2024 | Federal Reserve Board |
These figures come from different surveys with different definitions, so they cannot be combined into a single estimate. The Gallup and Federal Reserve numbers are not measured on the same population, and neither separates AI builders from other workers. The education gap matters for the headline, though. If workers with higher education are more likely to work fully remotely, then any comparison between builders and users has to account for education before it can say anything about location.
Job postings show demand, not location
PwC’s 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer reports that job postings requiring AI skills rose 7.5% in 2024, while total job postings fell 11.3% over the same period. That is evidence that employers are asking for AI skills more often. It is not evidence about how many of those roles are remote, and it does not show whether the people hired into them build AI systems or simply use AI tools. A posting that asks for “AI skills” could describe a machine learning engineer or a marketing analyst who uses generative tools.
What a valid comparison would require
To test the headline properly, a study would need to meet several conditions that the current sources do not satisfy together:
- Define “building AI” and “using AI” separately. Model development, machine learning engineering, and AI infrastructure are different roles, and each should be defined by tasks rather than by job title.
- Measure actual work location. Fully remote, hybrid, and remote-capable jobs need to be separate categories. Remote capability alone cannot stand in for remote work.
- Use one geography and one time period. Both groups should be sampled in the same country and the same years so that local labor markets do not explain the difference.
- Control for confounders. Education, industry, seniority, and self-employment all influence remote work. Contractors and founders who build AI may be counted differently from salaried employees.
Until a study meets these conditions, the honest answer is that the direction of the headline is plausible and the size and existence of the gap are unknown.
If you are looking for remote AI work
Readers who want remote roles should judge each posting by its own terms rather than by the “AI” label. These checks follow from the distinctions above:
- Check whether the posting says “fully remote,” “hybrid,” or “remote-capable.” Only the first two describe where the work is expected to happen.
- Check whether the role builds AI systems (model training, evaluation, deployment, infrastructure) or applies AI tools inside another function. The two can have very different location norms, and the data above cannot tell you which is more common.
- Note that remote work in the Federal Reserve figures varied strongly by education. Employer requirements for degrees and experience may shape which remote roles are open to you.
Labels in job postings are not standardized, so a role described as “AI engineer” may be fully remote at one company and office-based at another. Confirm location terms with the employer before you apply or accept an offer.
Sources: Pew Research Center, “Workers’ exposure to AI” (February 25, 2025); Gallup, “Frequent Use of AI in the Workplace Continued to Rise in Q4”; Federal Reserve Board, “Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024: Job Quality” (May 2025); PwC, “The Fearless Future: 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer”.
Quick Recap
“
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →
