Employees are increasingly leveraging AI tools to enhance their workplace efficiency, but apprehensions about the potential impact on job security persist. A recent survey sheds light on the prevalence of AI tool usage in the workplace, with nearly 3 in 10 workers (29 per cent) having employed artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
The adoption rate of AI varies from generation to generation. For instance, the adoption rate among Gen Z is about 37 per cent, with Millennials also close by at 35 per cent. The percentage is relatively low with Gen X ( 25 per cent )and Boomers 17 per cent.
The survey, interestingly, noted that AI usage is more prevalent among workers of colour, with 41 per cent of Asians, 38 per cent of Blacks, and 36 per cent of Hispanics having employed AI software, contrasting with 23 per cent of white workers. Industry wise, consulting and research with 45 per cent, business support and logistics with 43 per cent, finance and financial services with 40 per cent, and technology with 42 per cent, witness the highest AI utilisation.
Workers incorporating AI into their tasks predominantly view the technology positively, attributing a boost in productivity. A significant 72 per cent of AI users report enhanced productivity, while only 28 per cent cite negative impacts.
Despite the positivity, the survey revealed that employee concerns about AI’s repercussions on job stability persist among 42 per cent of workers. The worries are more pronounced among individual contributors with 44 per cent compared to managers or higher-ups with 38 per cent.
Interestingly, those earning less than $50,000 annually express higher levels of concern, as high as 47 per cent, than those earning between $50,000 and $99,999 with 39 per cent or $100,000 or more with 36 per cent.
Shifting focus to financial benefits, a mere 31 per cent of workers report access to financial coaching or advising at their workplace. Among financial perks desired by employees, fully- paid healthcare premiums top the wishlist at 51 per cent, followed by 401(k) matching (37 per cent), reimbursement for health facilities or gyms (27 per cent) and onsite free food (26 per cent).
Generation Z workers (18-24) place high value on free food with 42 per cent and fully-paid healthcare premiums with 41 per cent, while Millennials and Gen X prioritise free food less (29 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively).