According to the latest research, many people in leadership positions are optimistic about AI’s potential to improve working life.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become known for its usefulness in everyday working life, from simplifying complex topics and creating detailed visual aids of a company’s success, to generating reports and assisting in people management. The benefits are limitless for an organisation that has a clear strategy.
However, opinion is mixed on whether or not employees and people in leadership roles are seeing genuine improvements with the proliferation of generative AI tools. That is the focus of Storm Technology’s recent research, which explored how IT leaders are responding to workplace AI.
Storm Technology, which is part of Littlefish, was founded in 1995 and is a Microsoft business technology consultancy, with offices in Dublin, Galway and Belfast. It operates in the hospitality, construction, utilities, sustainable energy and public sectors.
The organisation collected data from 200 IT decision-makers and leaders throughout Ireland and the UK. What was discovered is that 68pc of IT leaders think that AI reduces stress among team members. In fact, there was a high-degree of confidence among participants that AI can create a better work-life balance.
The balancing act
Burnout and stress caused by workplace pressures can result in an environment that not only lacks productivity, but also causes tense working dynamics. With that in mind, companies need to prioritise measures to reduce stress and implement structures that support employees.
Almost three-quarters (72pc) of respondents stated that AI can enable employees to achieve a better work-life balance, with 60pc agreeing that it may also reduce burnout. Meanwhile, 66pc think AI allows employees to reduce manual repetitive tasks and focus on more meaningful work.
Of the Irish contributors, more than half (51pc) currently use AI on a daily basis to manage tasks, with only 2pc never using it at all.
However, the survey also indicated that those in leadership positions feel that their organisations and the industry as a whole could benefit from further integrating advanced technologies into their standard operations.
In Ireland, 69pc of IT leaders explained that they would prefer to work for a company that was more advanced in terms of their AI adoption.
Storm Technology’s research found that barriers to AI adoption include a lack of understanding, with 30pc of people feeling that senior management is failing to understand the full potential of AI, and 31pc stated the wider organisation is unclear on the possible applications or benefits.
A staggering 73pc of responding IT leaders backed this up by admitting that user adoption is a serious concern in the implementation of AI.
The management of data, privacy and security (28pc), a lack of trust in AI (27pc), employee resistance (27pc) and a lack of AI skills in the organisation (27pc) were also identified as top barriers to adoption.
“On the topic of AI skills, 40pc of IT leaders do not believe their team currently has the technical skills or knowledge to implement or adopt AI. Perhaps unsurprisingly then, 70pc think employees expect to receive AI training and enablement,” the report noted.
Commenting on the results of the survey, John Tallon from Storm Technology said, “AI is creating a predicament for people and businesses. On the one hand, it is seen as a means of reducing workload stresses, supporting creativity and productivity.
“However, on the other hand, there is reluctance to adopt AI, stemming from a gap in understanding and the necessary skills required. Businesses will need to bridge this knowledge gap to capitalise on the benefits of AI. Empowering people will drive the biggest impact across the whole business.”
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