Sophistication in GenAI Use: Field Evidence from a Large Firm
We study how sophistication in generative AI (genAI) use varies among the back-office workforce of a large firm. Using proprietary data, we observe 713,564 employee prompts and their corresponding large language model responses from nearly 4,000 back-office employees across 15 functional areas over eight months in 2025. We document three main findings. First, senior employees exhibit more sophisticated genAI use, consistent with domain expertise complementing genAI capabilities. Second, sophistication varies considerably across functions and is highest in Strategy, Digital Innovation, and Proj
