U.S. professionals use more advanced AI tools than EU peers, Ajelix data finds

Ajelix says anonymized platform data from thousands of spreadsheet AI users shows U.S. professionals are using more advanced automation features than their EU counterparts. The gap shows up in script generation, debugging and workflow automation, suggesting AI is moving from simple assistance to finished business outputs.

Why it matters: - U.S. knowledge workers appear to be using AI for more complex tasks, not just quick answers or basic formulas. - The shift matters because advanced use cases like coding, automation and finished reports point to deeper workplace dependence on AI tools. - Ajelix’s findings line up with broader research showing higher AI adoption in the U.S. than in Europe.

What happened: - Ajelix analyzed anonymized platform data from 3,000 spreadsheet AI users to compare behavior in the U.S. and Europe. - Half of U.S. users, 50.1%, used advanced features such as script generation, debugging or optimization, compared with 37.3% of European users. - European users were more likely to use AI for formula generation, at 66.9%, compared with 61.2% in the U.S. - The analysis covered selected U.S. and EU platform events from February 2026 to June 2026. - The regional behavior set included 16,542 U.S. events and 30,736 EU events, with identical feature availability in both regions.

The details: - U.S. users were more likely to generate scripts, with 40.8% doing so versus 32.5% of European users. - Script debugging was used by 13.5% of U.S. users and 6.1% of European users. - Script optimization was used by 8.6% of U.S. users and 3.7% of EU users. - Combining multiple functionalities was used by 22.1% of U.S. users, compared with 10.2% in the EU. - Finished outputs such as dashboards or reports were produced by 13.3% of U.S. users and 9.5% of EU users. - The median U.S. prompt was 15 words, compared with 13 words in Europe. - Long prompts were more common among U.S. users, with 12.0% exceeding 150 words versus 9.7% in Europe. - Ajelix said longer prompts are not a measure of AI skill, but they can signal more complex tasks. - The spreadsheet AI generator analysis covered February 2025 to February 2026. - That set included 1,136 U.S. users with 35,182 generations and 1,848 EU users with 13,458 generations across all 27 EU member states. - The analysis included tools for Excel and Google Sheets, plus script generation, explanation, debugging, optimization and Sheets task tools. - Regional prompt-length findings covered February 1 to June 25, 2026 and included 4,668 users and 32,331 messages, including 11,113 U.S. messages and 21,218 EU messages. - Ajelix said the findings reflect behavior among its users and are not a measure of all U.S. or EU workers or all AI users. - A 2026 Gallup study found more than 50% of employees use AI at work, including 30% who are frequent users. - Gallup also found frequent users apply AI to coding and automation three times more often than occasional users. - A 2026 Brookings study found 43% of U.S. workers used AI in their jobs, compared with 32% of European workers. - Brookings also found U.S. workers spent a larger share of working hours using AI. - Ajelix COO Agnese Jaunosane said the strongest signal is how quickly U.S. professionals are expanding the role of AI in daily work. - Jaunosane said U.S. users are giving AI context, combining tools, generating code and turning interactions into completed business assets.

Between the lines: - The data suggests the difference is not just adoption, but intensity of use. - U.S. users seem more likely to treat AI as a workflow engine, while EU users appear more concentrated in formula-related tasks. - That pattern supports a broader move from AI assistance toward agentic workflows. - The regional gap may also reflect differences in workplace habits, tool adoption or comfort with automation, though the data does not prove a cause.

What's next: - Ajelix says the trend could continue as more users move from chat-style interactions to structured, multi-step AI workflows. - Broader adoption data from Gallup and Brookings suggests advanced use may grow as workplace AI becomes more routine. - Ajelix’s platform behavior will likely remain a useful indicator of how professionals use AI for spreadsheets, code and business outputs.

The bottom line: - U.S. professionals using Ajelix are more likely than EU users to push AI into advanced, multi-step work that produces finished assets, not just answers.