The use of AI is quickly becoming the norm in the workplace, but some workers worry they will be criticized if their colleagues find out.
AI company Antropic and work management platform Asana on Wednesday released a new “State of AI in the Workplace 2024” report that surveyed 5,007 knowledge workers in the U.S. and U.K. about their views on AI adoption in the workplace. Knowledge workers can be broadly described as skilled, white-collar workers who use analytical skills.
The study found that more than a quarter of workers surveyed are concerned that using AI in the workplace will make them look “lazy,” while a further 23% said they fear using AI in the workplace will make them labelled a “fraudster.”
Additionally, a third said they were concerned that AI would replace humans entirely.
One reason for this is that companies aren't providing clear guidelines for using AI in the workplace, Rebecca Hines, director of Asana's Work Innovation Lab, said in an interview with CNBC Make It.
“That's where the fear of being seen as lazy, the fear of being seen as a fraud, starts to become more pronounced because the organizational context is not conducive to fostering an environment where people feel empowered to use AI,” Hines said.
Overall, the survey found that adoption of generative AI in the workplace is increasing in both the US and the UK.
In the US, 57% of workers use generative AI tools weekly, up from 46% just nine months ago. In the UK, 48% of workers use generative AI tools weekly, up from 29% just nine months ago.
Nearly 60% of workers in the US and UK expect to use generative AI more in the next six months.
The high adoption rate is primarily due to increased worker productivity, with 69% of workers reporting increased productivity as a result.
Workers are increasingly excited about incorporating AI into their jobs, but they don’t feel particularly supported by their companies.
An overwhelming 82% of workers say their organization doesn't provide employees with training on using generative AI, and this lack of communication may be causing workers to feel unsure about whether using AI in the workplace is acceptable.
In addition to incorporating AI policies, Hines said companies need to explain how AI will change worker roles.
“Companies are also not thinking enough about the importance of principles — not just what can we do with technology, but what is the underlying purpose of technology and what is the value of technology to the specific jobs we do,” she said.
“How do we envision our new roles as humans alongside this new transformative technology? That's what gives employees confidence.”
Meanwhile, there is also a gap in awareness about the use of AI between management and individual employees.
The survey found that about a quarter of executives said their companies have a budget set aside to invest in generative AI tools for their employees, while only 9% of employees said the same.
Moreover, while more than two-thirds of executives are open to using AI in the workplace, only half of employees say the same, and these concerns stem from fears that they will be replaced by AI.
Hines explained that these fears are most prevalent among companies that are in the early stages of adopting AI.
“Companies in stages four and five, who have started to implement the guidelines, are beginning to position AI as a teammate rather than a tool. At that point, you'll see a real reduction in the perceived threat to any organization,” she added.
Ultimately, Hinz said, if companies provide more resources and training, workers will be able to use AI in a more “psychologically safe” environment.
