{"id":71739,"date":"2024-11-12T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=71739"},"modified":"2024-11-20T10:59:39","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T10:59:39","slug":"uk-lags-behind-in-ai-adoption-driven-by-lack-of-trust-and-uncertainty-says-slack-workforce-index","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/uk\/news\/stories\/uk-lags-behind-in-ai-adoption-driven-by-lack-of-trust-and-uncertainty-says-slack-workforce-index\/","title":{"rendered":"AI Urgency Is Up but UK Adoption Is Slowing, Says New Slack Workforce Index"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Latest research shows a ripe opportunity for AI agents to address key blockers and help accelerate AI adoption among workers<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite continued urgency on the part of business leaders and growing interest in AI<\/a> among employees, AI adoption in the UK is cooling, according to the new Slack Workforce Index<\/a>. AI adoption rates among UK workers have slowed over the last three months \u2014 growing from 32% to 39%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to a lack of training from employers, the research points to uncertainty and discomfort around AI usage causing the slowdown in UK companies. 76% of workers feel an urgency to become to become an AI expert, and yet over half (54%) of UK workers report feeling uncomfortable admitting their AI use to their managers for fear they might be seen as incompetent, lazy or cheating.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\t<\/tableau-viz>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Why it matters: <\/strong>Companies can\u2019t afford to have AI adoption stall out. According to McKinsey<\/a>, AI could increase corporate profits by $4.4 trillion a year, and Salesforce research<\/a> finds that sales teams using AI are 1.3x more likely to see revenue increase than those who don\u2019t use it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To realize the benefits of AI, however, employers need to encourage employees to use the technology and equip them with the training and guidance needed to work successfully in the new agentic era<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salesforce perspective: <\/strong>“A lot of the burden has been put on workers to figure out how to use AI. The arrival of AI agents<\/a> \u2013 with clearly defined roles and guidelines \u2013 will help with this, alleviating the ambiguity and anxiety many workers feel around using AI at work and helping to accelerate adoption,\u201d said Christina Janzer, SVP of Research and Analytics at Slack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The arrival of AI agents<\/a> \u2013 with clearly defined roles and guidelines \u2013 will help with this, alleviating the ambiguity and anxiety many workers feel around using AI at work and helping to accelerate adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christina Janzer, \u200b\u200bSVP of Research and Analytics at Slack<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Detailed findings: <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Workers hide AI use out of fear, confusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Without clear guidance, workers are confused about when it is socially and professionally acceptable to use AI at work \u2014 and are keeping their usage under wraps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among those UK workers who said they feel uncomfortable admitting using AI for tasks to their managers, the top reasons include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Fear of being seen as less competent<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Fear of being seen as lazy<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Feel like using AI is cheating<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    On the other hand, global workers who are comfortable sharing AI use with their manager are 67% more likely to have used it for work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Workers aren’t using AI to focus on executive priorities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The data reveals a disconnect between what leadership wants employees to focus on and what workers expect they’ll focus on with the time saved by AI. Globally, executives want employees to prioritise upskilling and innovation, while employees expect to use the time saved by AI to catch up on busy work and existing projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The top areas that execs, globally, want employees to prioritise to move the business forward are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Learning and skill-building<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Innovation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. More work on existing projects<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      What UK employees expect they will do with the time AI helps them to save:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      1. Administrative tasks<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. More work on existing core projects<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Learning and skill-building<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
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