⚠️✨ From Concern to Optimism: The Shift in Sentiment Towards AI in the Workplace

A new study by BCG, titled "AI at Work: What People Are Saying," provides an interesting analysis of various workers' opinions on AI in the workplace.

Surprisingly, the results are not as technical and cold as one might expect. In reality, people seem unexpectedly optimistic.

The study is based on responses from nearly 13,000 workers, representing a wide range of roles, from leaders to frontline workers. The responses come from various industries and 18 different countries, offering a truly global view of how AI is impacting work.

Latin American countries were missing 😢

I read the full report so you don’t have to. Here are some interesting points.

Optimism is rising while concern is declining

The results show an unexpected trend: compared to a similar survey in 2018, concern about AI has decreased, while optimism has increased.

Indifference is also decreasing. It’s impossible to remain aloof from this “black magic” that allows us to work 2x faster.

However, this optimistic sentiment is not evenly distributed. Business leaders show significantly greater optimism than frontline workers. Concern, on the other hand, is higher among the latter.

## A quarter of workers use AI regularly

The survey also explores how AI is being used in the workplace.

It turns out that 46% of respondents have used AI at least once, and 26% use it several times a week.

Business leaders are the most frequent users, with 80% of them using it regularly. This contrasts with 46% of managers and only 20% of frontline workers.

### Preparing for the impact of AI in the workplace

Despite the increase in AI usage, there is a clear gap in training and preparation for this new era.

36% of respondents believe their jobs could be eliminated by AI. However, while a huge 86% of workers believe they will need upskilling, only 14% have received any type of training so far.

This unmet demand suggests that we will see a surge in corporate training programs on AI.

What to do?

Despite the concerns, 71% of respondents believe the benefits of AI outweigh the risks. However, they want these risks to be managed, and 79% believe specific regulations for AI are necessary.

Many companies are not waiting for government regulations to be enacted and are developing their own frameworks for responsible AI.

It is essential that we create spaces for responsible experimentation with AI and ensure that workers are comfortable with its use.

The more one uses AI tools, the more we recognize their benefits, as well as their limitations and risks.

AI is here to stay, and it’s clear that we all need to adapt.