American writer and lecturer Helen Keller is credited with saying that "no pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an undiscovered land, or opened a new hope in the human heart." If the vast majority of us are focused on dealing with the challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the wave of pessimism that seems to be spreading does not seem to make much sense, as we find it easier to see the threats to the fabric of work and social cohesion than to appreciate its opportunities in terms of productivity and advances in multiple fields.
Perhaps as a reaction against this wave of pessimism, Genesys, a company specializing in omnichannel solutions, has just published the results of a survey of a thousand US workers (1,001, to be exact), which reveals a surprising headline: 7 out of 10 have an optimistic attitude toward new technologies linked to AI. And in contrast to so much doom and gloom, only 1 in 20 (5%) say they dislike it because it puts their job at risk.
This fear is shared by 1 in 5 workers (19%), a figure that is undoubtedly lower than the 32% who express the opposite view. Thus, for almost 1 in 3, the idea is that AI will have a positive impact over the next five years. And this is not the most striking thing: this percentage is increasing rapidly compared to previous surveys. In addition, three out of four participants in the study confidently state that they "rarely" or "never" feel threatened by the emergence of this new technology, compared to a meager 4% who say they feel threatened "always." Is the latter group paranoid or simply anticipating the future?
The data from this research shows that there is a certain dissonance between what workers think will happen and their perception of the phenomenon for their own careers. On the one hand, more than half (52%) say that AI has not affected their jobs, but this figure drops dramatically (29%) when it comes to the impact over the next five years. This is because the vast majority (68%) explain that their company does not "yet" use tools to take advantage of artificial intelligence. This data, incidentally, and also to the surprise of the less initiated, shows that there are no major differences between large and small companies.
Will the AI of the future be a friendly companion, or will it be an enemy? How does its emergence affect social interaction, business ethics, and employee skills? "Some jobs will evolve as human work is combined with the capabilities of AI. The key for organizations adopting this intelligent technology is to help employees understand its potential to make their jobs more fulfilling by eliminating mundane and easily automated tasks. This opens the door for more employees to apply skills that AI simply cannot replace, such as creativity, leadership, and empathy," say the authors of this report.
Some additional findings related to this research for the United States are as follows:
– Two out of three (66%) say that technology makes them more efficient at work. This response is exactly the same across all three age groups surveyed.
– A relatively small percentage, 8% of US employees, say they dislike new technology in the workplace because it "takes away the easy tasks."
– Fear of the impact of AI is significantly higher among part-time employees (25%) than among full-time workers (18%).
– Contrary to what one might think, fears are much more prevalent among younger employees than among those in the older age group. Twice as much, to be exact: 26% in the 18 to 38 age range, compared to 13% in the over-55 age range.
– Trust in superiors: nearly 70% of US employees trust their employers to use AI in an ethical manner.
Research whose main value lies in the questions it raises and, therefore, in the need to find adequate answers so that, with the inevitable penetration of new technology, we are able to uphold Keller's ideas, continue discovering stars, sail toward uncharted lands, or open new hopes in the human heart.
Photo byDrew GrahamonUnsplash
