Enthusiasm for AI Powered Future

July 17, 2024in Salesforce

Trust in AI to handle certain tasks independently is growing, although the preference for AI-human collaboration remains strong. Enthusiasm for AI Powered Future.

Workers are increasingly relying on AI, with a recent study showing that they trust AI to handle about 43 percent of their work tasks. This shift towards delegating tasks to AI is notable. Leaders show even more confidence, trusting AI with 51 percent of their work compared to 40 percent among rank-and-file employees.

Looking ahead, 77 percent of global workers anticipate they will eventually trust AI to operate autonomously. Currently, only 10 percent of workers have this level of trust, but within the next three years, 26 percent believe they will trust AI to function independently. This trust is expected to rise to 41 percent in three or more years.

Despite this, the preference for AI-human collaboration remains strong, with 54 percent of global workers favoring a collaborative approach for most tasks. However, some workers are already comfortable with AI handling specific responsibilities alone. For example, 15 percent trust AI to write code, 13 percent to uncover data insights, and 12 percent each to develop communications and act as personal assistants autonomously.

There are still tasks where human involvement is deemed crucial. A significant number of workers trust only humans to ensure inclusivity (47 percent), onboard and train employees (46 percent), and keep data secure (40 percent).

Building trust in AI involves greater human participation. Sixty-three percent of workers believe that increased human involvement would enhance their trust in AI. A major hurdle is the lack of understanding, as 54 percent of workers admit they do not know how AI is implemented or governed in their workplaces. Those knowledgeable about AI implementation are five times more likely to trust AI to operate autonomously within the next two years compared to those who lack this knowledge.

A notable gender gap exists in AI knowledge, with males being 94 percent more likely than females to understand how AI is implemented and governed at work. Additionally, 62 percent of workers feel that more skill-building and training opportunities would foster greater trust in AI.

Linda Saunders, Salesforce Director of Solutions Engineering Africa, highlighted the enthusiasm for an AI-powered future, emphasizing that human engagement is key to building trust and driving AI adoption. “By empowering humans at the helm of today’s AI systems, we can build trust and drive adoption – enabling workers to unlock all that AI has to offer,” Saunders stated.

The study was conducted by Salesforce in collaboration with YouGov from March 20 to April 3, 2024. It involved nearly 6,000 full-time knowledge workers from diverse companies across nine countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, France, Germany, India, Singapore, and Switzerland.