A growing body of research shows that artificial intelligence tools and workplace agents are offering significant support to neurodiverse professionals. As AI agent creation accelerates in 2025, employees with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other neurodivergences say these tools help them overcome long-standing workplace barriers — creating a more level and inclusive playing field.

A recent study from the UK’s Department for Business and Trade found that neurodiverse workers were 25% more satisfied with AI assistants and more likely to recommend them than neurotypical colleagues.

For Tara DeZao, senior director of product marketing at Pega, AI has transformed daily work. DeZao, who has combination-type ADHD, says tasks like note-taking were a struggle during meetings: “If I stand up and walk around, I’m no longer taking notes — but now AI can capture the entire conversation, transcribe it and summarize the key themes for me.”

“I’ve white-knuckled my way through the business world,” she added. “These tools make an enormous difference.”

Across workplaces, AI tools range widely — from automated note-takers and scheduling assistants to internal communication aids. Generative AI excels at functions tied to communication, planning and executive functioning, offering direct support in areas where many neurodiverse people have historically faced the most friction.

And the benefits aren’t just individual. Research suggests that companies embracing neurodiversity — and the strengths it brings, like hyperfocus, creativity, empathy and specialized expertise — can generate up to 20% higher revenue.

The Ethical Imperative of Building AI for Everyone

Supporting neurodiverse workers through thoughtful AI design isn’t just good ethics, says Kristi Boyd, AI specialist at the SAS data ethics practice — it’s good business. SAS research indicates that organizations heavily investing in AI governance are 1.6 times more likely to double their return on AI initiatives.

But Boyd warns of three key risks companies must navigate:

Conflicting needs: Different neurodivergences may require different — even opposite — accommodations.
Unconscious bias: AI models may be unintentionally trained to associate neurodiversity with negative traits.
Privacy concerns: Tools must be designed so workers don’t have to disclose diagnoses to benefit from AI assistance.

By acknowledging these challenges early, Boyd says companies can offer flexible, choice-based configurations and build more equitable systems.

Researchers and nonprofits are pushing this work forward. Humane Intelligence recently launched a Bias Bounty Challenge, inviting participants to surface bias in AI communication tools — with particular focus on users with cognitive differences, sensory sensitivities or alternative communication styles.

Emotion-recognition AI, for example, can help employees who struggle to interpret facial cues during Zoom meetings. But only if those systems are trained to understand diverse communication patterns rather than reinforce harmful assumptions.

“Like Turning the Light On”

For DeZao, her adult ADHD diagnosis clarified a lifetime of difficulty: “It felt like somebody switched on the light in a very dark room.”

She says one of AI’s most powerful benefits is the ability to take in new instructions without derailing her focus. “If I’m working and a request pops up in Slack or Teams, it completely breaks my train of thought. Now I can hand that request off to an AI agent instantly and keep going. It’s been a godsend.”

As companies take responsibility for ethical, inclusive AI deployment, experts stress the need for diverse voices throughout the development process, regular auditing, and safe ways for employees to report problems anonymously.

One thing is clear: the movement toward AI designed with neurodiversity in mind is only beginning — and it’s already changing lives at work.

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