Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the landscape of workplaces around the world. It is exerting a significant influence on workplace dynamics today, reshaping the future of work.  A recent UKG study reveals that a whopping 95% of employees in India believe that AI in the workplace can improve their quality of life. They also wish that workplace technology could anticipate their needs just like OTT platforms predict their watch list based on viewing preferences. The study was done to understand their perspectives on the evolving role of AI.

The survey reveals that 72% of employees personally encounter AI-powered workplace tools, systems, and processes in their organisations, and use generative AI tools such as ChatGPT (75%), Open AI (47%), and Google Bard (22%), respectively for their jobs and in their personal lives.

Al: A positive enabler 

Around 96% of those surveyed are optimistic about the evolution of AI in the workplace, perceiving it as a positive enabler that increases their:

• Efficiency and productivity - 90% (50% significantly, 40% slightly)
• Quality and accuracy of work - 89% (46% significantly, 43% slightly)
• Job satisfaction - 88% (40% significantly, 48% slightly); and
• Overall happiness - 82% (39% significantly, 43% slightly).

Organisations and AI

According to the study, 73% of employees in India report that their organisations employ AI in the workplace, but only 47% of employees completely and 44% of employees somewhat understand how it’s used.

AI: Behind-the-scenes maestro orchestrating workplace symphony

In India, 91% of employees trust, to some degree, the content generated by AI tools, and 93% of employees take the help of AI in creating original content, making the growing influence of AI on key organisational operations undeniable.

The intervention of AI in management and decision-making processes is welcomed by Indian employees with:

•  92% of employees accept the role of AI in assisting managers in creating employee schedules
• 89% of employees believe that AI should help companies detect future risks and increase operational resiliency;
• 86% of employees embrace the help of AI in augmenting executive decision-making; and
• 71% of employees say that they would rather have their performance be evaluated by AI instead of their managers.

AI is key to unlocking the future workplace

As 62% of employees in India believe AI skills will matter more than work experience in the next two years for either finding a new job or keeping their current job, it has become crucial for them to acquaint and familiarise themselves with the workings of AI.

Be it in terms of compensation or working hours, employees skilled at using AI believe that they have a significant competitive edge over their peers who are not as familiar with AI.

• 90% of employees feel that they deserve higher pay if they are skilled at using AI for their job.
• 76 % of employees want shorter work days and work weeks if they are using AI to automate some of their tasks.

On a global scale, executives at companies using AI today estimate that 70% of their total workforce will use AI to automate or augment some of their job tasks by 2028, according to the UKG study. Even executives at companies not using AI today estimate that 20% of their workforce will use AI to automate or augment some of their job tasks within the next five years.

“There is a clear appetite for AI in the workplace as long as employees better understand how it’s used and the benefits. Employees in India rise to the top of that sentiment with 88% wanting to be more accepting of AI while expecting their organisation to be more transparent around the use of AI,” said Sumeet Doshi, Country Manager at UKG India.

“The world of work as a whole has barely scratched the surface when it comes to unlocking and utilising the full potential of Artificial Intelligence in augmenting and streamlining workplace operations. However, a cautious approach is understandable,” said Ashok Saxena, VP Engineering at UKG India.

The survey was conducted across 9 countries, including India, the study surveyed more than 4,000 employees, to understand their perspectives on the evolving role of AI.