Half of the Swiss workforce is reluctant to admit to using AI
AI adoption is on the rise in Switzerland, with 47 % of Swiss employees using AI in their work and 53 % looking forward to AI replacing some tasks, according to Slack's new Workforce Index. Although leaders continue to emphasize the urgency of using the technology and adoption is already high in Switzerland, AI adoption rates have slowed globally in the last three months - rising from 32 % to just 36 %.
In addition to the lack of training by employers, the study points to uncertainty and discomfort in connection with the use of AI. 50 % of Swiss employees state that they are uncomfortable admitting the use of AI to their superiors. They fear being seen as incompetent, lazy or fraudulent.
Why is this important?
According to McKinsey, AI could increase corporate profits by 4.4 trillion dollars per year. Research from Salesforce has also found that sales teams that use AI are 30% more likely to achieve higher sales than those that do not. However, employers need to encourage their employees to use AI and take advantage of its benefits. Only with the necessary training and guidance can they work successfully in this new era.
Salesforce perspective: "Today, too much is placed on employees to understand AI. It's important that leaders not only train their workforce on how to use AI, but also encourage them to talk about it and experiment freely with AI," says Christina Janzer, SVP of Research and Analytics at Slack. "Introducing AI agents - with clearly defined roles and guidelines - will also help with this and reduce the ambiguity and anxiety that many employees feel about using AI in the workplace."
The results from Switzerland and worldwide
Many employees hide their use of AI in the workplace out of insecurity and fear, particularly in Switzerland, where 50 % of office workers say they are uncomfortable disclosing their AI use to superiors. The reasons for this are mostly the fear of being seen as less competent or lazy, as well as the feeling that AI use is unethical. However, global studies show that the likelihood of AI use increases by 67 % when open conversations with superiors are possible.
There is also a clear discrepancy between the expectations of employees and the priorities of managers when it comes to using AI. While managers want to use the time gained through AI for further training and innovation, employees place more value on catching up on unfinished tasks and intensifying existing projects. In Switzerland, however, employees also prioritize administrative tasks.
Despite uncertainties, many employees would like better support in learning AI applications. In Switzerland, 82 % aspire to become AI experts, but have often invested little time in training. Globally, 30 % of workers report not having received any AI training. Employers that create clear guidelines and offer AI training are considered more attractive: 81 % of Swiss employees consider an employer's ability to provide and promote the use of AI tools to be crucial when looking for a job. Career starters in particular attach great importance to this factor.
Source: www.slack.com
