Study: Professionals are both excited and apprehensive about AI at work

The post-summer period is often a time for reflection. Many working people take advantage of their return to the office to take stock of their skills and organizational methods. This brings up the question of artificial intelligence. According to a new survey, a large number of working people are generally enthusiastic, but also apprehensive, about the arrival of this technology in their working lives.

This global research was conducted by LinkedIn among more than 29,000 professionals in some 20 countries, including France, the USA, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates. It reveals that working people are fairly enthusiastic about the prospects offered by AI in the professional sphere.

Indeed, 58% believe that this technology will significantly change the way they work over the coming year. The overwhelming majority of workers surveyed (84%) are convinced that artificial intelligence will help them progress in their careers, while 45% believe it will make their jobs easier.

In fact, many believe that AI will lead to more free time, which some see as a way to improve work-life balance. Some 45% of respondents believe that artificial intelligence will transform their working day, enabling them to devote more time to social commitments and leisure activities. Others intend to use this free time to bolster their professional networks (30%) or gain new skills (39%). Generally speaking, workers believe that AI could have a positive impact on their jobs, helping them to accomplish long-term projects and goals.

But that doesn’t stop professionals from having fears and reservations about this technological development. Nearly half of working people are afraid they don’t know enough about artificial intelligence (49%), and 39% feel overwhelmed by the scale of change it could bring to their jobs in the future. This is why some professionals feel the need to feign mastery of the subject. Some 39% of those surveyed admit that they pretend to know more about AI in front of their coworkers to appear “in the know.” – AFP Relaxnews