Dive Brief:
- Workplace dependence on AI has become increasingly widespread, with half of employees saying they depended too heavily on the technology, and just under a third saying they couldn’t function without it, according to a new survey from IT firm GoTo.
- Overdependence on AI has caused problems at work, with 39% of all workers and 46% of Generation Z saying their reliance on AI has weakened their skill sets and made them less intelligent. However, 60% of employees said they felt pressured to use AI to increase productivity.
- When companies demand AI proficiency without providing the necessary training or effective policies to control its usage, misuse and workslop become more common, said report authors. Almost one in four IT leaders reported that AI-related mistakes “have already affected customers, clients, or their company’s bottom line.”
Dive Insight:
The research was based on a global survey of 2,500 workers and IT leaders and explored the realities of workplace AI usage as well as some of the potential problems the technology has introduced.
Almost every IT leader (98%) said their company was using AI, and an additional 82% of workers said they were using AI on the job. In addition, more than 9 in 10 people surveyed approved of their organizations’ investments in AI.
Nonetheless, the technology is hurting worker confidence.
Just about 3 in 10 workers think AI is better at their jobs than they are, and 28% said they now trust AI more than they trust themselves. Even so, 41% said their overuse of the tech is going to negatively affect their long-term careers.
Notably, 83% people surveyed said they were concerned that they might be held responsible for an AI mistake, while 17% of all employees, and 30% of Gen Z workers, say they have blamed their own mistakes on AI.
Workers aren’t imagining the problem, either. Just under half of employees (43%) said they’ve used content created by AI even when it was low quality, and 43% of IT leaders said their companies aren’t very adept at gauging the ROI of the AI tools they implement.
GoTo CEO Rich Veldran said in a statement that when companies offer effective AI training resources for workers, it benefits productivity and overall corporate wellbeing. “The goal isn’t just smarter technology,” Veldran said. “[I]t’s a smarter, more empowered workforce.”
As worker sentiment sours on AI, providing clearer guidelines surrounding its usage may be even more critical. Recent research from national nonprofit Jobs for the Future found that out of more than 3,000 people, 44% believe the tech is a net negative when it comes to job hunting, creating wealth and improving quality of life.
