While it’s easy to get bogged down in all the headlines surrounding AI, many companies are still keen to employ real human beings, which will be music to the ears of many workers who have grown increasingly concerned about the effects of AI on their roles in recent months.
These findings comes from a study of 1,000 global business decision-makers by software company Workday, whose aim was to explore the benefits, challenges, and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence.
The figures indicate that the vast majority (93%) of business leaders in the UK and Ireland believe that humans should be involved in AI decision-making. Similarly, three-quarters (77%) said that AI and machine learning have the power to unlock better productivity and efficiency, highlighting the technology’s role in aiding humans rather than replacing us.
AI won’t take your job, after all
In contrast, fewer than one-third (29%) of the respondents said that they are confident that AI and ML can be applied ethically in their business. This further indicates a lengthy journey ahead before the time-saving tech is likely to be deployed on the wide scale that many of us fear, giving the workplace time to adapt and evolve accordingly. In other words, a change is unlikely to happen overnight. Half (52%) said that the ethical concerns around application could be addressed in the next five years.
Around half (48%) of the businesses questioned also raised concerns about security, and while companies like Microsoft and OpenAI are working on creating AI helpers that keep data to themselves, only the largest enterprises will be able to afford them initially.
From a human perspective, the study summarizes that the “outlook for workers is optimistic,” and instead the AI revolution merely represents an opportunity for new skills to be developed, thus more job openings could become available.
Ultimately, how artificial intelligence will impact workers remains to be seen, but Workday is just one in a growing number of companies that is predicting exciting new opportunities.
- Check out the best online collaboration tools
