Gen Z workers are increasingly incorporative of Artificial Intelligence in their respective work environments but a recent study shows they are hesitant to divulge this information to their managers. After conducting a survey with 1,000 people between ages of 16 to 79, Advertising Week Europe discovered that a large percentage of young generations felt uncomfortable with discussing AI usage in the workplace.
42% of Gen Z, 40% of millennials, and 33% of people of all ages were too afraid to talk to their superiors about AI implementation. In the UK, this unease was mainly due to a lack of official policy on AI with 66% of employees claiming companies did not have one in place. Conversely, more experienced employees were more familiar with the technology, with 69% of staff with more than 15 years experience using AI as opposed to 62% of those with 15 years or less.
Advertising Week Europe’s Global President, Ruth Mortimer, noted that the fear arose mainly from an uncertain economy and not knowing if usage of AI would mean the loss of a job. She added that mangers should create an atmosphere that gets workers talking openly about AI, lest companies get left in the dust.
Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT launched, it has become quite popular in the workplace. It enables employees such as lawyers, engineers, teachers and realtors to quickly complete tasks such as writing emails, property descriptions and social media content. A user confided in Vice that ChatGPT completed around 80% of his job without cutting into his workload.
With tech and finance operating more frequently in AI, industries such as Medicine, Education, Retail and Hospitality have some catching up to do. It is important for these organizations to acquire a better understanding of AI and the rewards and challenges that come along with it, as well as create a positive, safe space for employees to have meaningful conversations about AI usage and implementation.
