A new survey of 600 UK human resources (HR) managers and directors shows they will need three years to be ready for the impact of AI on the workplace – yet 99% believe artificial intelligence (AI) will deliver benefits.
Almost 40% said it would take a minimum of three years before they were prepared for the impact of AI on their roles, and fewer than one in six (15%) said they would be fully prepared for the potential impact of AI on the workforce within the year.
To integrate AI, nearly 40% were investing in their tech teams, while 35.5% were already trialling AI in their businesses.
The survey commissioned by research-driven consultancy YOHO Workplace Strategy also asked the respondents which jobs would be most impacted by AI.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, IT and technology jobs were at the top of the list (27%), followed by finance and accounting (23%), customer services and support (22%), sales and marketing (22%) and healthcare and media (21%).
Grant Price, CEO at YOHO Workplace Strategy, said: “AI has the potential to be the biggest disruptor of the way we work since the industrial revolution.
“Our research shows businesses don’t think they will be prepared for the seismic changes AI will have until three years’ time.
“But all sources indicate AI will have changed radically in that time and businesses need to prepare for this now.”
Weighing up the pros and cons
The survey also revealed the top five concerns about AI in the workplace, which include a lack of human interaction (30%), over-dependence on technology (30%), technical issues (29%), ethical considerations (29%), and security and privacy concerns (29%).
The types of benefits expected by respondents were an even split between improvements in decision support (32%), productivity and efficiency (30%), automation of routine tasks (30%), increases in innovation and creativity (30%), and better allocation of resources and time management (29%).
Varying responses from different age groups were also revealed. The biggest concerns among 18 to 34-year-old senior executives were AI’s potential to reduce human interaction and increase company dependence on technology (36.4%). Whereas amongst those aged 35 to 55 and over, the biggest fear was over security and privacy (29%).
The vast majority (82.5%) of HR execs surveyed felt they were either aware or fully aware of the potential impact of AI on the jobs market, with more than a third (36.92%) anticipating more benefits than drawbacks.
Keeping the ‘human’ in human resources
Grant Price, CEO at YOHO Workplace Strategy, added: “AI will displace jobs rapidly and while it will create new jobs, this is unlikely to be at the same rate as the jobs it displaces. The winners will be those who pivot to leverage its capabilities the quickest, as AI enables the translation of data into actionable insight at speed.
“Having been born into a world dominated by technology, Gen Z are likely to adapt more quickly, and find it easier to harness AI’s capabilities as the technology continues to evolve.
“As pressure grows to allow AI to start recommending changes to our HR and business strategy – the question is whether we will find ways to retain sufficient control before we grant AI this role?”
