Salesforce, the company behind the business-oriented messaging client Slack, has said that nearly half of office workers are enthused by the arrival of generative AI, up 9% from January. For many workers, AI can be given boring and repetitive tasks to free up their time, but Salesforce warn they can only do this effectively if they’re guided by the correct training.
The company pointed out that 82% of workers are at risk of burnout this year due to the stress they face in jobs they don’t necessarily enjoy. Workers seem optimistic that AI can help with this situation but there are some issues.
One of the main issues that Salesforce identified is that even if AI reduces boring tasks, workers say they will prioritise admin tasks over high-value professional development tasks like innovating, creating, and networking with colleagues.
Another problem that was identified is that there are trust and knowledge gaps holding people back from fully utilising AI. Salesforce found that a huge 93% of desk workers don’t consider AI outputs trustworthy for work tasks and only 15% say they have the necessary education and training necessary to use AI effectively.
Commenting on what needs to be done to reduce stress and burnout, Christina Janzer, Head of Slack Workforce Labs, said:
“If we want to make the most of what AI can offer without just ramping up stress and burnout, it’s on us as leaders to equip our teams with tools they can trust and help employees steer that extra time into the most rewarding work.”
Essentially, the takeaway from this data for businesses considering switching on AI for their employees is that this must be accompanied by training and guidance so the technology can be utilised most effectively. Salesforce found that by offering training, workers were 19 times more likely to report that AI is improving their productivity.
Source: Salesforce | Image via Depositphotos.com