Employers are failing to achieve the maximum return on their investments in artificial intelligence (AI) because employees are not adequately trained to utilize it, according to a study by international professional services firm EY.
The company’s Work Reimagined survey, based on responses from 15,000 employees and 1,500 employers in 29 countries, including Ireland, suggests a widening gap between investments in AI and the returns companies are seeing.
The report’s authors say that companies continue to invest heavily in implementing AI technology, with 37% of employees now routinely using AI at work and 88% leveraging the capabilities of AI technology to some extent.
However, more than half (54 percent) of those who say they use AI suggest that it is primarily used for basic tasks, with only 5 percent reporting using it in advanced ways.
However, many users are using platforms other than those recommended by the company, and up to 57% of workers are said to have implemented their own “shadow AI” solutions to work.
The report suggests that training is key to increasing productivity from the investments being made.
“Organizations that combine effective AI implementation with a strong talent strategy can increase productivity by up to 40%, but most organizations fall short,” the report says.
Laura Flynn, Head of People Consulting at EY Ireland, said: “AI is everywhere and its impact could be enormous, but so far most organizations have not been able to tap into its full potential, held back by gaps between ambition, adoption and human readiness.”
“Our research shows that while nearly all workers are currently using AI to some degree, only a minority are actually using it to transform the way they work, with concerns about job security, skills decline and increased workloads creating resistance.
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“But we also found that employees are clearly aware of the benefits of AI to help them do their jobs, and will covertly use tools known as shadow AI when their employers don’t provide them.”
The survey found that more than a third (37%) of employees believe their skills could be compromised or replaced by AI at some point, and 64% report increased pressure and workload related to current expectations, but only 12% have received the training they need to make the most of technology in their role.
