Dive Brief:
- Most employees are eager to have AI take over some of their tasks, according to a Freshworks report published last month.
- Workers spend around three hours per day on tedious tasks and busy work, the survey of 4,000 knowledge workers and business leaders found.
- Nearly every employee said the technology is saving them time, according to the report. Around two-thirds of workers said they invest time saved in mentoring colleagues or on creative tasks.
Dive Insight:
Most businesses are still seeking AI productivity gains as the new year kicks off, but leaders are better positioned to deliver than before.
“Businesses are now giving AI a deeper embrace because all that initial grassroots experimentation with generative AI has begun paying off more broadly,” Freshworks said in the report. “From a CIO’s perspective, AI’s most powerful capability is how it can directly improve the two most critical differentiators of business success today: customer and employee experience.”
To improve the employee experience, businesses have to take a holistic approach to AI adoption. Introducing the technology is a place to start, but leaders are working to ensure employees know how to use the tools they’re given. Training has become a critical part of the strategy.
As companies executed adoption plans last year, employee sentiment shifted, according to the Freshworks report. More than half of workers said they better understand AI now, and nearly half said AI is driving noticeable value. Nearly 2 in 5 respondents said the technology has delivered on its promise.
Most organizations face an uphill battle despite progress. Just 2% of businesses have the talent, data and technology to launch effective AI initiatives, according to an Infosys report published in October. Still, CIOs are looking to capitalize on lessons learned last year to sustain momentum in 2025.
