Workers Fret Using AI Will Brand Them 'Lazy' and 'Frauds' as Employers Snooze on Training

From recognizing images/speeches and providing recommendations to making decisions and handling finance, AI has slid into almost every job sector in various capacities. AI firm Anthropic and work management platform Asana have recently released their 2024 State of AI at Work report, which surveyed 5,007 knowledge workers in the US and UK about their opinion on AI adoption in the workplace.

It found that over a quarter of surveyed workers seemed concerned that they would be seen as "lazy" employees if they used AI at work. Moreover, the survey found that 23% thought that using AI would label them as "frauds." The known fear that AI may replace humans surfaced in this survey as well. 

According to Asana Work Innovation Lab head, Rebecca Hinds, the perception of feeling like a fraud is attributed to companies not laying proper organizational context. Irrespective of all this, the overall generative AI adoption is on the rise in both the UK as well as the US.

In the US, 57% of workers are using generative AI tools weekly which has risen from 46% just nine months ago. While in the UK, 48% of workers are using generative AI tools weekly which has risen from 29% nine months ago. Having said that, the high adoption is not being backed by the organization as more than 82% of workers say their organization hasn’t provided any training for employees on using generative AI. This communication gap is also a reason why employees are hesitant to use AI in the workplace. 

"Companies are not looking closely enough at the importance of principles as well so not just what are you allowed to do with the technology but also, what’s the technology fundamentally aimed at doing, and what is the value of the technology for our specific work," she said. “How do we envision our new role as a human alongside this new transformative technology? That gives employees confidence."

The survey then shines a light on how the workers and the employees are not on the same page with almost a quarter of employers saying that the company has a budget for investing in generative AI tools for employees, while only 9% of employees said the same.

Hind then talks about how these fears were prevalent way more in the companies that had just started to incorporate AI into their organization. "The stage four, and stage five companies that have started to implement guidelines have started to position AI as a teammate, not a tool. That’s when we see that the perceived threats lessen in any organization," she added.

According to new University of Aberdeen data, on the other hand, 35% of companies stated that they are now looking at embracing AI and have "positive intentions toward hiring AI-related talent shortly."

Mike Lock, Managing Director of Research at Aberdeen Strategy and Research, stated, "Companies that invest thoughtfully in AI report notable benefits, including better customer loyalty, increased productivity, and higher satisfaction levels, unlike those that use AI solutions more sporadically."

The research also found that the companies who have invested in artificial intelligence have reported 2.7x and 3.2x improvements in customer satisfaction as well as productivity, resulting in higher levels of customer loyalty.