Increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) fuels fears in business

The current expansion of artificial intelligence in business has many people feeling deep fear and anxiety about the future. Recent surveys have shown that employee mental health is being affected, and the American Psychological Association's 2023 U.S. Workforce Survey revealed that nearly two in five workers (38%) are concerned that AI will make some or all of their jobs unnecessary in the future.

To learn more about this topic, this month I spoke with Dan DiAsio, Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Consulting Leader at EY. In this role, he supports clients in AI-powered business transformation by helping them strategically orient, identify, design and deploy trusted AI and modern data platforms. He works across industries to close the gap between digital immigrants and digital natives and turn pain points into competitive advantages.

The recent EY AI Anxiety in Business Survey surveyed 1,000 U.S. workers who are at least somewhat familiar with AI about their perceptions and experiences with AI-enabled technologies.

Here's what Diasio shared:

Cathy Caprino: Dan, what prompted EY to conduct the “AI Anxiety in Business” survey?

Dan DiAsio: Generative AI (GenAI) is one of the hottest topics of 2023, with significant advancements across the business world. But as leaders move forward with adoption, a gap in excitement has emerged between leaders and users of AI systems. Most technology projects fail because of user adoption. AI is not immune to this challenge.

When it comes to integrating AI, it's important to have a complete picture, from regulations and tactical implementation to employee attitudes and feelings about the threats the technology poses. Understanding this, we felt it was necessary to dig deeper into which aspects of AI and related technologies are causing pain points for leaders and employees.

Our research reveals the impact and current use of AI in the workplace, and how the rapid adoption of AI is fueling anxiety across the workforce. The survey provides business leaders with key insights into potential barriers and how they can help employers overcome them. This information is not only useful for EY's own use, but also helps us provide better advice to our clients on how they should approach human-centric AI adoption.

Caprino: What surprised you most as an AI leader from the survey results?

Diasio: While fears about AI aren't dampening excitement about the technology's potential, workers want regulation along with integration. Our survey found that 78% of workers say government should play a bigger role in regulating AI. Given how polarized politics are today, the fact that workers want more control over AI from AI developers is a big deal. and The government's response was surprising.

Interestingly, employees who trust AI (80%) are more likely to believe that governments should play a larger role in regulating AI technology than those who don't trust it (71%).

Caprino: Were there any important differences in the types of responses received depending on the respondent's age?

Diasio: Yes. It is very interesting to see the apparent lack of trust among Gen Z employees compared to Millennials and Gen Xers. Despite being the first to join the workforce as true digital natives, Gen Z employees are less likely to use AI in the workplace and significantly less convinced of its benefits. For example, only 72% of Gen Z believe that AI will improve efficiency, compared to 85% of Millennials and 89% of Gen Xers. We found that Gen Z is the generation most likely to have a healthy skepticism of AI capabilities. However, the youngest generation represents the future of the workforce, and engaging with Gen Z in the midst of AI integration is crucial for business leaders.

Caprino: What steps can leaders take to overcome employee fears and concerns around AI adoption?

Diasio: While the majority of employees trust AI technology, nearly the same number have concerns. AI is a new tool for most employees, and with reports of possible negative impacts such as job loss, it's understandable that employees may feel uneasy about fully embracing the technology. Our research shows that “FOBO” (fear of becoming obsolete) is plaguing workers, with a staggering 75% of employees worried that AI will make their specific job obsolete. Even more alarming, nearly two-thirds (65%) say they are worried that AI will replace their job. their work.

But human-centered design is essential to unlocking AI across an organization, and communication, transparency and education are essential for business leaders to alleviate employees’ AI fears and unlock AI’s full potential.

The main steps and initiatives are as follows:

education

Employees not only expect training programs, they also actively worry that the programs currently offered are not enough. Our survey found that 80% of respondents said that more training and upskilling would make them more comfortable using AI in the workplace, suggesting that these educational workshops are key to lowering anxiety levels. However, a similar number (73%) of respondents are concerned that there are not enough training and upskilling opportunities. This means that leaders cannot afford to make AI training a token thing; they need to make it strategic.

transparency

For employees to feel more comfortable using AI, leaders need to share more information about responsible/ethical AI best practices and receive more communications that promote responsible/ethical use of AI. Employees say they would be more comfortable using AI in the workplace if senior management promoted responsible and ethical use of AI (77%).

communication

After all, employees want to be informed about the process and have their opinions heard: 77% of employees would feel more comfortable adopting AI in the workplace if all levels of the organization were involved in the adoption process.

Caprino: How do you expect AI to continue to evolve over the next year? What trends do you foresee in 2024?

Diasio: This isn't the first time that excitement has been building over the potential of emerging technologies, but businesses shouldn't ignore the hype around AI. It's a revolutionary tool, and harnessing its potential should be a top priority in 2024 and beyond.

What's unique about the GenAI (generative AI) hype cycle is that it has seen a steady and rapid increase in maturity and usage following its explosive adoption in the market, and this rapid evolution shows no signs of slowing down.

2023 was a year of discovery and understanding of AI for many organizations, with companies experimenting with AI-powered solutions across various functions. In 2024, the theme is expected to be scale.

GenAI will be deployed and integrated more strategically and with a focus on transforming work flows rather than adding new tools. Additionally, we expect organizations to look beyond out-of-the-box capabilities to integrate other types of AI that are specifically suited to taking action (such as causal AI) and to implement AI that is right-sized (and priced) for their needs.

In today's challenging macroeconomic environment of continued economic uncertainty, leaders are also likely to feel pressured to demonstrate ROI on AI investments, which will likely drive an even greater focus from experimentation to scaling proven concepts.

Caprino: It's been exactly one year since ChatGPT exploded onto the market. How can businesses move from experimentation to execution while keeping in mind the risks that come with any new technology?

Diasio: GenAI is fundamentally different from previous technologies: It is a probabilistic technology, so it doesn't always give the same answer, is hard to test, and creates new risks just as it creates capabilities as companies add data to the models.

Any enterprise embarking on AI adoption must have a strong AI governance and risk management program in place. These should be run by a combination of business leaders and risk management experts who are trained in how AI works. Business leaders must view themselves as fiduciaries and stewards of their organization's technology ecosystem and maintain trust and mitigate risk by embedding responsible practices in AI, such as data protection, compliance with evolving regulatory obligations, and appropriate principles and codes of conduct.

If designed and implemented properly, regulatory mechanisms can help promote safe and trustworthy AI systems. Emerging technologies like AI require regulatory mechanisms to be designed with the ability to evolve over time.

The ethical implications of AI are also crucial and a top concern for today's workforce. Our research revealed that 71% of employees are concerned about ethical/moral considerations around the use of AI. Companies can mitigate the human risks associated with ethical concerns by embracing transparency.

Our research shows that the majority of employees would view their organization more favorably if it:

• Providing training for employees on AI responsibility/ethics (80%)
• Establishing an AI responsibility/ethics task force (77%)
• The AI ​​their organization has built has been reviewed by a trusted third party (76%)

Caprino: Finally, how can companies prepare their employees for the future of AI and build the workforce of the future? And with the current proliferation of new generative AI tools, how can organizations and employees manage the learning curve?

Diasio: At the end of the day, GenAI is here to stay. We tell our clients to think about the impact of AI in the same way that the Internet transformed every industry. New innovations are inevitable, and connecting humans and technology to empower individuals will be the key to success. Companies need to rethink their workflows, not more tools. And the only people who can make this happen are the people who run those workflows.

Employees are key to successfully integrating new technology, so leaders need to prioritize reducing employee anxiety.

Successful adoption requires thoughtful communication and meaningful upskilling programs so employees feel their opinions are valued and listened to, while also helping them feel more comfortable with how and when to use the technology.

For more information, see the EY AI Anxiety in Business survey.

Cathy Caprino is Career and Leadership Coach, author The most powerful youand trainer We help our clients achieve greater success and impact.