The question of whether AI Assistant Become our colleague Replace our workhas been the subject of fierce debate around the water cooler.
Companies are becoming more open to adopting AI in the workplace. investigation According to Workday, 62% of 1,375 business leaders, including C-level executives, welcome the use of AI in the workplace. However, employee acceptance is lower, with only 52% welcoming AI and only 55% believing their employers will deploy it in a safe and trustworthy way.
Employees face a dual challenge: They worry that their employers will introduce AI that will eliminate their jobs, and even if that doesn't happen, they worry that AI will be introduced without their knowledge to weaken or impact their roles.
There is clearly some anxiety about using AI in the workplace, exacerbated by the fact that some employers recognise its transformative potential but are unsure how to implement it.
“This discrepancy between recognising the importance of AI and taking concrete steps to adopt it could be attributed to AI being an emerging technology, but a more likely explanation is a lack of trust and understanding of AI's capabilities and limitations,” says Catherine Wilkes, senior director at business transformation consultancy Slalom.
So how can leaders close the AI trust gap? The answer is a combination of transparent communication about AI's capabilities, limitations and even trustworthiness, combined with learning and training activities. Ethical concerns.
Have a clear AI strategy
“No matter where you are in your AI journey, every company needs to AI StrategyThis needs to be clearly communicated to employees: A recent Slalom survey found that while 89% of leaders have made AI a priority, only 61% are actively adopting AI as a strategy within their companies.
Employers should detail why AI is being introduced, including how it aligns with company goals, how it resonates with company values, how it is being used in the workplace, and how it will aid and support employees in their roles.
It's especially important to be clear about how AI aligns with your company's values, especially for younger workers. Generation Zprefer to work A company with a clear purpose And a culture of accountability and transparency: “An open environment makes it more likely that employees will buy into the company's vision and contribute actively to its success,” says Gemma Collins, performance and development director at talent management consultancy Grace.
The good news is that many younger workers may already be using AI outside of the workplace, for example: Chat GPT Use AI to recommend books and music, summarize articles, etc. They already have a natural curiosity for learning in them, Collins says, but they may need convincing that AI in the workplace is in their best interest, and won't replace them.
Providing learning opportunities
Older workers may be more sceptical of AI than younger workers because they “have not discovered, or been given the opportunity to discover, the vast amount of material and tools that can help them understand AI,” says Mark Roses, regional vice president of technology, EMEA at global digital specialist CI&T.
Therefore, leaders have a responsibility to “motivate their employees to learn and become familiar with the technology so they can be successful in their careers both now and in the future,” Rodes adds. Leaders should provide employees with access to learning opportunities to improve their AI literacy.
If you're on a budget, you don't have to spend a fortune to get this access, as there are plenty of free crash courses available. Bootcamp Some companies offer distance training programs that cover the basics of AI and equip employees with the necessary skills and experience. Some even offer certifications. While certification in itself won't increase employees' trust in AI, recognition of achievements will help them understand the benefits of AI. AI Skills at work.
The more employees learn, Myths about AI This builds trust in the technology, making employees feel more comfortable using it in the workplace and more confident in it.
Employee participation in the implementation process
Beyond external courses and bootcamps, leaders should provide employees with internal knowledge opportunities, or what Rozes calls “community opportunities,” where they can discuss AI experiences and challenges with their peers. Lunch and Learns, company-paid meetings over a meal, are an increasingly popular professional development option.
While it's good to invite employees to participate in discussions and share their frustrations, leaders should also use employee suggestions to inform and improve how AI is deployed in the workplace. Listening to and taking on board employee feedback can increase AI's effectiveness. Additionally, leaders will be able to share success stories about how AI is supporting roles within the company with prospective employees who need to be convinced of its benefits.
Collins agrees with the need to involve employees in the implementation process: “You should ask for their feedback on how to optimize your AI implementation. This is an ever-changing area and you need to show your employees that you value their capabilities.” [opinions] “You're going to have more employee buying power,” she says. “People are going to stand behind what they're creating.”
