As HR professionals informally embrace AI use at work, research shows that, more broadly, British workers are increasingly using AI at home but not at work.
Research from EY found that 70 percent of UK adults had used AI in their daily lives in the past six months, but just 44 percent used it in their professional roles. This is significantly below the global average of 67 percent who use it for work and 82 percent who use it in their personal lives.
The findings, from EY’s global sentiment index of 15,000 people from 15 countries, highlight a stark gap between personal and professional adoption of emerging technologies.
Just 19 percent of the British public said AI has been “meaningfully implemented in their working environment”. EY said this points to a growing need for business leaders to invest in clear, responsible strategies for adoption to bridge the AI trust gap.
In spite of AI’s potential to unlock greater workforce productivity, improve efficiency and reduce costs, employees remain cautious as a result of concerns around ethics, transparency and job security.
EY urged employers to “align with government ambitions to lead in responsible AI development and seize the opportunity to upskill their workforce” to ensure the country remains competitive in the global tech stakes.
“AI’s potential excites people as much as it concerns them,” said Catriona Campbell, EY UK&I AI client strategy leader. “Leaders must tap into this enthusiasm while also addressing their concerns. The survey findings highlight the importance for businesses to consider integrating AI into daily operations to address potential skills gaps and improve efficiency.
“By building confidence and demonstrating the value of AI, we can bridge the adoption gap and ensure AI serves as a catalyst for innovation and progress in the UK.”
Sachin Agrawal, managing director for software provider Zoho UK, said: “AI is already having a transformative impact on business processes, driving efficiencies across areas such as customer experience which, as the research shows, consumers are benefitting from.
“However, the use and benefits of AI shouldn’t be restricted to tech staff or consumers. It’s important for businesses to adopt AI tools that support the day-to-day roles of all staff, automating mundane tasks and enabling them to focus on higher-impact activities.”
“To maximise AI’s benefits across the workplace and give staff the confidence to use these tools effectively, there should be comprehensive training frameworks to ensure workers at all levels understand its capabilities, risks and ethical implications.”
Agrawal urged employers to consider introducing a privacy-focused AI use policy to ensure customer and employee data privacy as well as to help ease a key barrier to business adoption.
“Promoting AI literacy across education systems and upskilling programmes within businesses will equip staff with the tools to streamline tasks such as data analysis, fraud prevention and forecasting, driving new levels of productivity.
“Effective AI governance should promote transparency in AI development and ensure that staff unlock its potential both in and out of the workplace.”
