Embrace or fear AI?

Instead of fearing AI, employers and workers alike are willing to embrace its positive impact, according to new research.

A survey of over 8,800 responses* from professionals and employers across the UK found that more than half (56%) of employers believe AI should be employed in the workplace. More than a third of his employers (36%) are undecided whether to deploy AI, while only 8% of employers think AI should be feared.

Workers share similar sentiments, with nearly half (49%) saying they should embrace AI in the workplace, but only 13 say they think AI should be feared. % was.

1 in 5 employers use AI tools
Just over one in five (21%) organizations say they are currently using AI tools like ChatGPT. Lack of awareness or understanding of their benefits is the main reason for not using AI tools today (25%).

When it comes to staff using AI tools, the majority (66%) of employers intend to allow their staff to use AI tools, but monitor their usage. 3% of his employers have already banned the use of AI tools, and 18% said he plans to ban tools like ChatGPT.

Fewer than one in five employees (15%) say they are already using an AI tool such as ChatGPT in their current role, and this number is one-fourth (15%) among professionals aged 20-29 ( 23%) is increasing.

Use of AI tools is high across many professions, including marketing, with more than a third (37%) of professionals saying they have used AI tools in their current role. Thirty percent of tech workers have used AI tools, followed by 23% of construction professionals and 17% of sales professionals.

Upskilling needed to support wider use of AI
More than half (51%) of employers say their employees don’t have the right skills to make the most of AI tools and technologies. Of those employers who said they had a skills gap, 45% said they lacked both technical and soft skills, and 38% said it was primarily the technical skills needed to use certain AI tools. I answered yes.

So far, more than a quarter (27%) of employers say they are investing in training their employees to improve their skills in AI tools and technologies.

Hays UK & Ireland Managing Director Simon Winfield commented: “It is clear from our research that sentiment towards the use of AI in the workplace is largely positive, but while employers across all sectors understand how AI can be used, adoption and usage rates remain low. It remains low.” It could benefit their organization.

Concerned about the speed at which AI technology is advancing, more than half of employers say their employees do not have the right skills to take full advantage of AI and technology. This is a great opportunity for professionals to learn how AI can impact their profession, how AI tools can be used to advance their careers, and to improve their skills. “

Sue Dailey, Director of Technology and Innovation at techUK, commented: “AI will bring many benefits to businesses and their staff, but as AI innovation continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, it is critical that employers invest in upskilling their workforce,” said the workforce. The Hays research finds that introducing AI and providing training opportunities for staff to master AI tools will not only fill the digital skills gap the UK faces today, but will also help in the evolving job market. It clearly shows that a company can be positioned as an innovative and desirable company. “

“Our research makes it clear that not enough employers are actively investing in training their staff to upskill them in AI tools and technologies,” Simon Winfield continued. . Delaying staff upskilling and training risks exacerbating the skills gap and making the organization unattractive, especially for new hires. “