Many companies around the world have started to implement artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to create smarter and more efficient ways of working. It’s a strategy executives and employees alike believe will drive results, but many employees worry about how the technology will be used, a new report found.
While employees and executives believe that AI will help companies hit objectives more effectively, many are not disclosing its purpose and the ways it will be used, which could hinder recruitment and repel talent, according to The State of AI at Work, a report from The Work Innovation Lab by US software company Asana.
“To realise the full opportunity of AI, companies need to assuage concerns, unite teams around an AI vision, and ensure the right guardrails are in place,” the report said.
The report found that 85% of employees say they have AI-related considerations when joining a new company, “the most important one being whether their prospective company is transparent about its use of AI (59%)”.
Less than one-third (32%) of employees feel their company has been transparent about AI use, the report said. A higher percentage of executives (44%) feel their company has exhibited AI transparency. The survey gathered responses of more than 4,500 knowledge workers in the US and UK in July.
While AI is projected to transform work in the coming years, daily adoption is not common, the report said: 36% of employees report using AI weekly, but only 4% use AI multiple times daily.
Lack of clarity is slowing progress. For instance, 30% of US knowledge workers, and 20% in the UK, say that their company has established policies or guidance around AI use at work. This lack of transparency may also be driving ethical concerns, as 92% of employees expressed concerns about AI being used unethically.
Companies should “create clear AI policies that outline acceptable uses of AI, as well as clear guidance on best practices for how employees should use AI at work”, the report said.
— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Steph Brown at Stephanie.Brown@aicpa-cima.com.
