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Nearly half of Generation Z workers surveyed — 49% — say their bosses don’t appreciate the benefits of artificial intelligence tools in the workplace, according to a June 24 report from UKG.
In addition, 90% of Gen Z employees said AI will save them time at work, and 70% said they’ve taught themselves most of the AI skills they use at work.
“Gen Z may be on the leading edge of AI adoption in the workplace, but this technology has the power to transform work for every generation,” said Suresh Vittal, chief product officer at UKG. “From simplifying and automating everyday tasks to increasing productivity to unlocking more time for creativity, innovation and personal connection, AI will reshape the employee experience in the years ahead.”
In the survey of more than 1,100 U.S. workers across generations, 84% said they want AI to handle workplace processes for them, and 79% said AI tools could free up time to focus on more important or more rewarding aspects of their job.
At the same time, most workers said AI should be viewed as a tool, not a co-worker. They noted that AI could take over tasks that are highly repetitive, data-intensive or time-consuming, as well as responsibilities that require little judgment or nuance or are prone to human error.
Since Gen Z workers appear to be leading the way in adoption, employers can tap into their energy to empower other workers to learn the latest tools, UKG said.
However, some employees may have reservations. In a report from Kyndryl, nearly half of CEOs said their employees are resistant or even hostile to AI. Employers face three major barriers to AI adoption, including organizational change management, a lack of employee trust and workforce skills gaps, the report found.
So far, only 10% of companies qualify as “future-ready” with their AI capabilities, according to an Adecco Group survey. While most future-ready companies have adopted skills-based workforce planning and invested in training, the majority of unprepared companies said they expect workers to proactively adapt to AI, the survey found.
Despite challenges with AI integration, 67% of companies use AI tools for work-related purposes, according to a survey by OwlLabs and Pulse. Knowledge workers said they’ve used AI for administrative tasks such as calendar management, data analysis and content creation for emails and reports. About a quarter of workers said their employers strongly support using AI and supply tools, training and clear guidelines for workplace use, the survey found.
