Whereas different analysis stories have discovered that workers could also be intimidated by and even fearful of rising tech comparable to AI, new analysis from enterprise analytics and consulting agency Ernst & Younger paints a completely totally different image. The agency’s current survey finds {that a} overwhelming majority of US staff (89 p.c) imagine adopting rising applied sciences is helpful for his or her firm—however greater than half (59 p.c) say their senior management is sluggish to embrace these probably game-changing applied sciences.
The newly launched Rising Tech at Work Survey requested greater than 1,000 US workers about their familiarity with and anticipated influence of 12 rising applied sciences—together with AI, machine studying (ML), augmented actuality (AR), digital actuality (VR), digital twin, edge and quantum computing, and biometrics—and divulges essential insights for enterprise leaders contemplating the implementation of recent applied sciences and navigating obstacles to adoption.
Staff are enthusiastic concerning the promise of recent applied sciences, however 52 p.c say that applied sciences are outdated by the point their firm does implement them. As well as, there’s a generational divide in adoption and expectations. Gen Z and millennial workers are extra probably than different generations of workers to say they at present use generative AI to draft emails (24 p.c for Gen Z and 27 p.c for millennial vs. 12 p.c for Gen X and 6 p.c for child boomers) and are additionally extra prone to say senior management at their firm don’t see the worth of adopting rising expertise (58 p.c for Gen Z and 53 p.c for millennial vs. 42 p.c for Gen X and 42 p.c for child boomers).
“Right now’s workforce is anxiously awaiting tomorrow’s digital capabilities,” stated Faisal Alam, EY Americas consulting rising expertise chief, in a information launch. “Although leaders acknowledge how new applied sciences can remodel their enterprise, they should additionally concentrate on worker perceptions across the sluggish tempo of adoption, and the obstacles and dangers that might undermine efforts.”
Worker present nice pleasure for rising applied sciences
Staff had overwhelmingly constructive reactions about how rising applied sciences might influence their function. For instance, amongst respondents accustomed to every expertise, a overwhelming majority say that having digital twin (87 p.c), edge computing (86 p.c), quantum computing (84 p.c) or cloud/serverless computing (80 p.c) at their firm would change their function or job operate for the higher. And workers accustomed to generative AI view it as one of many rising applied sciences with the aptitude to enhance effectivity (61 p.c), pace (62 p.c) and productiveness (60 p.c) of their present day-to-day work.
The applied sciences most generally anticipated for use in enterprise inside three years amongst workers accustomed to every have been generative AI (55 p.c), the metaverse (50 p.c), and AI/ML (50 p.c), whereas quantum computing was perceived as essentially the most futuristic (32 p.c). In actual fact, 23 p.c of US staff already use AI/ML expertise to automate repetitive duties, and 60 p.c are keen to make use of AI/ML for that objective sooner or later.
Overcoming obstacles to maximise the potential of recent expertise
One of many major obstacles for adoption workers have for all new rising applied sciences is cybersecurity dangers. Staff agreed that cybersecurity coaching for brand new applied sciences is essential and that, in the end, the excessive cyber danger won’t cease many from adopting rising tech. Among the many particular person applied sciences explored, workers accustomed to Quantum Computing, for instance, three-quarters (78 p.c) have been involved about its related cybersecurity dangers.
Past cybersecurity, much less pronounced however very actual obstacles embody:
- Moral and ethical considerations, particularly amongst these accustomed to AI/ML (38 p.c)
- A expertise hole, i.e. a or scarcity of expert workers to make use of the expertise, which was most problematic amongst these accustomed to AI/ML (37 p.c), quantum (36 p.c) and edge computing (36 p.c)
- Inadequate coaching or upskilling alternatives, particularly amongst respondents accustomed to digital twin (33 p.c) and quantum computing (32 p.c)
“Establishing belief is foundational for integrating new, rising applied sciences into a company of any measurement,” Alam stated. “With the intention to understand the complete upside of groundbreaking advances like AI and edge computing, leaders should strategically put workers on the heart of their transformation selections by speaking their aims for brand new applied sciences early and sometimes.”
Learn the complete report right here.
EY US commissioned a third-party vendor to conduct a web based survey amongst n=1,001 full- and part-time US workers, ages 18+, who’re accustomed to not less than one rising expertise (synthetic intelligence/machine studying, digital actuality/augmented actuality, the metaverse, blockchain, Web3, the Web of Issues, digital twin, quantum computing, cloud/serverless computing, biometrics, edge computing and generative AI). The examine was fielded between February 6 and February 15, 2023. The margin of error (MOE) for the full pattern is +/- 3 share factors.
