Despite AI being everywhere right now, employees and business leaders alike feel trepidation about AI’s role at work. Data from Beamery, for example, shows that HR professionals feel like their AI opinions aren’t taken seriously; Likewise, survey results from talent firm SHL indicate that there’s a trust gap between job candidates and potential employers when it comes to AI in hiring.
But a November study from Edelman shows that there is one factor that can make workers excited about AI. On average, according to survey results, employees who feel more secure in their jobs due to AI are more likely to embrace it (50%) compared to the workers who feel less secure in their jobs due to AI (21%).
Workers feel more enthusiastic about AI when it’s framed as a tool to empower rather than replace them, according to the study. In the U.S. specifically, 59% of workers surveyed said they felt that way.
And while China and Brazil are more accepting of AI — with 54% and 35% of surveyed workers saying they embraced it, respectively — Germany, the U.K. and the United States had the lowest rates of people saying they are embracing it, at 16%, 18% and 17% respectively. Edelman researchers noted that half of U.S. workers surveyed said they are refusing to use AI.
When trust is low between workers and employers, there is some recourse. In sharing the firm’s November report, SHL’s Chief Science Officer Sara Gutierrez reaffirmed that AI use can shape overall perceptions of a business. Her main tip for building trust was for companies to disclose how they are embracing AI.
“Employers shouldn’t be silent about how they’re using AI. Being open about AI’s purpose, design, and use builds trust and differentiates organizations,” Gutierrez said in a statement. “Our experience shows that when responsible AI is thoughtfully integrated into any talent workflows — particularly interviewing — and paired with open communication and human oversight, workers view it as innovative, efficient, and fair.”