- UK workers are prepared to use AI so long as its benefits are also shared with them
- Employees worry they don’t have enough time and resources to keep up with skills
- Companies should be more transparent in supporting their workers
One in three UK workers would expect what insurance group Howden describes as an ‘AI dividend’ – a higher pay – if their employer were able to achieve significant productivity gains or cost savings through the use of AI.
The study of over 2,000 employees found a general acceptance toward AI, so long as its benefits are also passed onto them and not just the company.
Those impacted by AI would also expect shorter working hours (16%), greater job security (15%) and a bonus (13%) if their company managed to unlock AI’s benefits.
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Workers want to benefit from AI as much as their employers
Despite an appetite for AI’s benefits to be passed onto them, half (49%) worry they could be expected to complete even more work because of the time savings and another half (50%) fear AI could soon be used to assess their performance. A separate study has already demonstrated how workers feel pressured to use AI, showing that they use it regardless of its benefits just to keep managers happy.
But before all of this becomes a reality, many companies still need to roll out AI across workers’ environments. One on two worry it could be introduced faster than they understand it and 53% are worried they won’t have time to learn the new skills on top of their existing workloads.
The report found that simply providing access to AI training isn’t enough – workers need fully support, including dedicated learning time.
“With the workforce being central to the AI-productivity journey, our research show’s there’s a misalignment in expectations that must be addressed to improve the chances of success,” Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing MD Cheryl Brennan wrote.
The UK Government has already set out plans to upskill 10 million workers in AI by 2030, but uptake has reportedly been low and Howden is reminding employers that they must also play a role in their duty to workers.
Brennan concluded with the need for “dialogue and action regarding pay, progression and transparency,” keeping human workers in the loop and granting them access to AI’s benefits.
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Craig Hale
