One Third of Employers Think AI will Increase Productivity
Workplace expert Acas commissioned YouGov to ask employers in Britain what they thought was the most important benefit of AI at work.
The survey also found that: 12% thought AI would give a competitive edge.
11% thought it would increase knowledge.
11% thought more work would be done with fewer staff.
11% thought there would be no benefit.
Acas Chief Executive Niall Mackenzie said:
'Our survey shows optimism amongst some employers about the potential for AI to boost their productivity, decrease costs and increase knowledge.
'Used responsibly, AI has the potential to empower workers and support the delivery of different workplace tasks.
'Businesses should be proactive in having early discussions about AI with staff, trade unions, and other worker representatives to understand the potential implications and ensure its adoption is well-informed. A good clear policy will help businesses stay safe, transparent and reassure staff that they are valued.'
Some tips for employers from Acas on the use of AI at work include: Employers should develop clear policies regarding the use of AI in the workplace and should consult employees and any representatives on its introduction. If there is an expectation that certain roles begin using AI, that could mean a change of terms and conditions.
Employers investing in AI should highlight how it can improve employees' roles and reassure staff that human involvement will still be needed.
Organisations should remember that AI is not perfect, so outputs should be checked for accuracy, tone and bias. AI should be cited when used and staff may require training on how to get the best outputs.
A company's data privacy policies will apply for the use of AI, and it is wise to check with your IT team for approved platforms. Employees should be careful entering any information that is business sensitive or personal into public tools. Any information that you do enter could be made public or used by others, so check company policies on the use of AI in the workplace and be aware of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
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The fraudulent use of digital material to create convincing avatars for financial gain was another concern, she added. Some people have already begun stipulating in their wills that they do not want their digital material to be used after their death. Interactive avatars are not just for the dead. Abba Voyage, a show that features digital versions of the four members of the Swedish pop group performing in their heyday, has been a runaway success, making about £1.6m each week. Audiences thrill – and sing along – to the exhilarating experience while the band's members, now aged between 75 and 80, put their feet up at home. More soberly, the UK's National Holocaust Centre and Museum launched a project in 2016 to capture the voices and images of Holocaust survivors to create interactive avatars capable of answering questions about their experiences in the Nazi death camps long into the future. According to Cholbi, there is an element of 'AI hype' around deathbots. 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The interest in digital resurrection may be a consequence of 'traditional religious belief fading, but those deeper longings for transcendence, for life after death, for the permanence of love are redirected towards technological solutions,' he said. 'This is an expression of peak modernity, a belief that technology will conquer death and will give us life everlasting. It's symptomatic of the kind of culture we inhabit now.' Kasket said: 'There's no question in my mind that some people create these kinds of phenomena and utilise them in ways that they find helpful. But what I'm concerned about is the way various services selling these kinds of things are pathologising grief. 'If we lose the ability to cope with grief, or convince ourselves that we're unable to deal with it, we are rendered truly psychologically brittle. It is not a pathology or a disease or a problem for technology to solve. Grief and loss are part of normal human experience.'
