Cost, security risks and tech failure listed among the barriers to adoption.
A new study conducted by Oracle and Future Workplace - a research firm preparing leaders for disruptions in recruiting, development and employee engagement – finds that organisations are not doing enough to help their employees embrace AI and that will result in reduced productivity, skillset obsolescence and job loss. The study of 1 320 HR leaders and employees in the US shows that, while people are ready to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) at work, and understand that the benefits go far beyond automating manual processes, there is a large gap between the way people are using AI at home and at work
Titled ‘AI at Work’, the study finds that, while 70 percent of people are using some form of AI in their personal life, only 6 percent of HR professionals are actively deploying AI and only 24 percent of employees are currently using some form of AI at work.
To determine why there is such a gap in AI adoption when people are clearly ready to embrace AI at work, the study examined HR leader and employee perceptions of the benefits of AI, the obstacles preventing AI adoption and the business consequences of not embracing AI.
Despite its clear potential to improve business performance, HR leaders and employees believe that organisations are not doing enough to prepare the workforce for AI. Respondents also identified a number of other barriers holding back AI in the enterprise. Ninety percent of HR leaders are concerned they will not be able to adjust to the rapid adoption of AI as part of their job and to make matters worse, they are not currently empowered to address an emerging AI skill gap in their organisation.
Meanwhile, more than half of employees are concerned they will not be able to adjust to the rapid adoption of AI and 71 percent believe AI skills and knowledge will be important in the next three years, 72 percent of HR leaders noted that their organisation does not provide any form of AI training program.
Furthermore, in addition to the skill gap, HR leaders and employees identified cost (74 percent), failure of technology (69 percent) and security risks (56 percent) as the other major barriers to AI adoption in the enterprise.
