Generative AI (GenAI) has taken the world by storm with its potential to transform the way we live. Behind the hype, knowing how people use this technology and their attitudes towards it may help predict its trajectory. A new survey conducted by INSEAD among managers and executives across industries and continents may provide some clues.
About 1,200 people INSEAD Alumni This indicates that business decision makers and employees alike are embracing transformative technology – in fact, two in three respondents are already using it in both their personal and professional lives.
Notably, respondents' concerns about the potential negative impacts of AI did not necessarily align with general fears. For example, respondents' biggest concern was not about AI taking over their jobs, but about the potential misuse of AI and the associated ethical and safety implications.
surelyRespondents who answered, Gen AI Top leaders who believe AI will benefit employees outnumber those who believe the opposite, likely reflecting a belief that AI will democratize access to information and improve the efficiency of a variety of jobs.
Global Survey
The research was conducted by an INSEAD team in July and August last year, just months after tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E and Bard sparked a global frenzy.
We reached out to 62,870 INSEAD alumni to get an early sense of leaders' views on GenAI. Technology adoption, use cases, and perceived impact. From the 1,207 responses we received, we found statistically significant results.
A brief profile of the respondents follows:
- 61% live in Europe, 20% in Asia, and 11% in North America.
- 79% are between 31 and 60 years old
- 75% male
- 43% work in information technology and financial services, with the remainder spread across healthcare, energy and other sectors.
- 43% work for large organizations with over 1,000 employees
- The majority of respondents hold senior positions: Approximately 68% identify as executives, top managers or managers, and 41% as owners or directors.
More excited than worried
Overall, respondents Gen AINearly half said they were more excited than worried about the rise of AI, 42% said they were equally excited than worried, and only 9% said they were more worried than excited.
The main reasons (cited by 90% of respondents) were: Gen AI It saves time, increases efficiency and frees humans from mundane and tedious tasks. 63% of respondents generally agreed that the technology will bring about progress. Nearly half see AI as interesting and exciting, and 35% believe it will improve life and society.
68% of respondents Gen AI 64% of respondents use it in their personal lives and 64% use it at work, with only 15% saying they have never used this technology before.
As with any disruptive technology, Gen AI It has generated both anxiety and excitement. In the public sphere, discussion of negative consequences has been prominent, particularly around the impact on the economy. However, our survey found that only 28% of people are concerned that AI will have a negative impact on the economy. Loss of human jobsConcerns about outwitting people (30%) and weakening relationships (37%) were also low.
Instead, the most commonly cited concern in our survey (82 percent of respondents) was the possibility that people might misuse AI. Surveillance, hacking, and privacy issues Respondents' focus on human choice may reflect their experiences as business owners and managers, compared to the general public as reflected in the mass media.
GenAI in Organizations
We surveyed INSEAD alumni about their own use of AI, as well as their organizations' use of AI, and just over half of respondents said their organizations are already using generative technologies, indicating significant adoption and integration of AI is underway. Gen AI 27% of organizations plan to start using it for business operations. Gen AI Not planning to do so in the next 12 months or beyond. Only 21% have no plans to do so.
To the participants, Gen AI Benefits to the individual or organization. Most of those surveyed were experienced executives and managers who acknowledged that the organization was more likely to benefit than the individual employee (43 percent). Nearly half thought that the individual and the organization would benefit roughly the same (47 percent). Only 9 percent thought that the individual would benefit more than the organization.
Also, which role in the organization (top leaders or majority of employees) Gen AIInterestingly, 33% chose employees, which may reflect the view that it democratizes access to information and increases efficiency across a variety of roles. A further 36% said that both top leaders and most employees would benefit equally, with 28% choosing top leaders.
Related to this finding is a sense of optimism among respondents about the impact of AI on their careers: 9 in 10 respondents said they were more excited than worried, or equally excited and worried, about the impact of AI on their careers. Gen AIMany respondents spoke about the impact AI will have on the future, indicating widespread confidence that AI can bring opportunity and progress.
The Future of GenAI: When will we see AGI?
We have experienced managers, Gen AISpecifically, we asked whether they think big tech companies are ready to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) — software with human-like intelligence and capabilities.
The most common prediction was that AGI will emerge within the next 5 to 10 years, as expressed by 27 percent of participants. This was followed by 23 percent who foresee the development of AGI systems within the next 2 to 5 years, and 18 percent who expect the development to occur within the next 10 to 20 years.
At the two extremes, 8 percent of respondents thought AGI could be achieved within the next two years, while 12 percent thought it would take more than 20 years. These results reflect a wide range of views on the pace of AI progress, with most agreeing that significant progress will come within the next decade.
AI Across Industries
The diversity of INSEAD's alumni is rare among top business schools globally, allowing us to delve into perceptions across industries and regions. Across sectors such as communications services, finance and materials, we found that a significant number of respondents felt that organizations would benefit more than individuals. Gen AIIn contrast, majorities in the health care and public works sectors believed that individuals and organizations would benefit equally.
The energy sector was most optimistic about the timeline for AGI, with 9.1 percent of respondents saying it would happen within the next two years. In contrast, the utilities sector estimated that AGI would take 10 to 20 years. Still, this figure exceeded expectations for the consumer staples sector, where 25 percent of respondents did not believe an AGI system would ever be built.
AI in Europe, Asia and North America
Perhaps the most interesting finding is the regional differences in attitudes. Respondents around the world: Gen AI, Europeans were more likely to see benefits for organizations rather than individuals, and this group was also less likely to use generative tools than their peers in North America and Asia, possibly reflecting greater skepticism of new technologies and concerns about digital privacy in Europe.
Interestingly, respondents from this region were more likely to see AGI coming sooner than their North American counterparts, which may be due to: Gen AI Whether it be in a personal or professional situation.
Taken together, our findings highlight complex and multifaceted perceptions of GenAI’s role in society. They reflect both the possibilities and challenges it poses.
However, this survey Gen AIAs technology explodes at the speed of light, perceptions and expectations are likely to evolve just as rapidly. Soon, a new pulse check may be in order.
