Jan 10, 2024 - Technology

Survey: Workplaces are riddled with AI distrust

Ryan Heath

Animated illustration of a robot emoji being punched in the jaw by a fist icon. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Four out of five workers say their employers don't have guidelines for using AI — and barely half welcome the arrival of AI in their organization, according to a new international survey.

Why it matters: Many organizations lack a shared view on how to use AI — and that lack of consensus could hold them back from integrating AI into their operations.

Details: 62% of business leaders (C-suite and direct reports) welcome AI in their organization, compared to 52% of non-executive employees, in the survey commissioned by Workday, the enterprise software company.

That lack of enthusiasm is driven partly by concerns from around 1 in 5 executives and employees that their organization will put its interests above theirs in rolling out AI.
Workday says its survey, conducted in November and December, included 1,375 business leaders and 4,000 employees in 15 countries.

The intrigue: While workers are skeptical about how AI will be used in their workplace, 61% of employees hope AI delivers a "transformation" in their organization, compared to 32% who prefer AI to stick close to the status quo.

What they're saying: Jim Stratton, CTO at Workday, told Axios that the biggest AI risk an organization faces is being paralyzed by uncertainty.

The antidote, he said, is "a comprehensive approach to AI responsibility" — creating AI principles, communicating them clearly, and appointing a broad-based team to manage them.

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Survey: Workplaces are riddled with AI distrust

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