Integrating Generative AI into Knowledge-Intensive Environments: Insights from Agile Workers

Abstract

Generative AI (GenAI) is transforming how knowledge-intensive professionals work by generating new content and processing vast amounts of data, impacting knowledge creation. This phenomenon is widely acknowledged by scholars and practitioners, as evidenced by the growing body of literature on the topic. However, research remains in its early stages, and there is a pressing need to deepen our understanding of how these technologies are being adopted in specific contexts. This study addresses this gap by examining how agile practitioners who operate in highly knowledge‑intensive environments and are among the earliest adopters of GenAI integrate these tools into their work. We developed a questionnaire including questions about performance, effort, social influence, facilitating conditions, and risks.  The survey was distributed among participants at the 2025 edition of the Italian Agile Days, a two-day event that gathers Italian agile professionals. Based on responses from 91 participants, we identified three distinct user clusters: sceptical GenAI explorers, confident adopters, and cautious power users. Our findings contribute to an understanding of how GenAI is being integrated into agile practices and what facilitates or hinders its adoption among these knowledge-intensive professionals. Finally, we discuss implications for how organizations might tailor support, training, and governance to the different clusters to allow more effective and responsible GenAI use.