ChatGPT chat screen and logo on a smartphone in Brooklyn, New York, United States, Thursday, March 9, 2023.
Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty Images
A new study from Microsoft and LinkedIn shows that the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace is at an all-time high, with workers determined to meet busy schedules ahead of schedule, but concerns about emerging technologies displacing jobs remain.
Microsoft and LinkedIn released their Annual Job Trends Index The study on Wednesday examined the impact of artificial intelligence on the labor market by surveying 31,000 people in 31 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, Singapore, Australia and Brazil.
The study found that while 75% of employees use artificial intelligence in the workplace, more than half of respondents are reluctant to admit that they are using it for their most important tasks. That’s because 53% of people who use artificial intelligence at work to complete their most important tasks worry that it will make them look replaceable.
Additionally, nearly half of professionals are concerned that artificial intelligence will replace their jobs and are considering quitting their current position in the next year.
Colette Stallbaumer, general manager of Microsoft Copilot and co-founder of Microsoft WorkLab, told CNBC Make It that employees need to overcome their fears and start embracing artificial intelligence.
“The more you can learn as an employee, the better off you will be,” Stalbaumer said.
“I think that’s where people have to get over a little bit of fear and become optimistic, get into a growth mindset, take The opportunity to learn these skills, because all the data shows, whether you’re in-house now or looking to move or get hired, makes them more marketable.
Bosses keen to hire employees with artificial intelligence capabilities
Research shows that the recruitment of artificial intelligence technical talents has surged by 323% in the past eight years. But employees with non-technical backgrounds who know how to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot are also in high demand.
Research shows that 66% of leaders say they would not hire someone without AI skills, and 71% would rather hire less experienced employees with AI skills than more experienced employees without AI skills people.
While bosses value AI knowledge in the workplace, they are not taking an active approach to developing their employees’ skills. Nearly half of U.S. executives are not currently investing in AI tools or products for their employees, and just over a quarter of companies plan to offer generative AI training this year.
At the same time, only 39% of people globally who use artificial intelligence at work have received artificial intelligence training from their employers.
“What’s interesting about this data is that there’s a sense that employees understand AI adoption, but companies don’t fully understand it yet,” Aneesh Raman, vice president and workforce expert at LinkedIn, told CNBC Make It.
“The bottom line is, if you’re a company, you’re either lagging behind or you’re ahead. There’s no fixed position, so you should be having conversations about your views on AI and how it will evolve AI business.”
Workers are using artificial intelligence to make progress
Despite some concerns, employees are aware of the advantages offered by AI tools and are leveraging it to advance their careers.
More than three-quarters of professionals say they need AI skills to remain competitive in the job market, which will open them up to more employment opportunities. Less than 70% said it would help them advance faster.
“I think the key for everyone is that for most of us, our jobs are going to change and new categories of jobs are going to emerge, and what people can do to deal with that anxiety,” Raman explained. Just consider skills first.
“Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has this quote: ‘This is the age of know-it-all, not omniscience,'” Raman said.
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