Slingshot, the work management platform from global software company Infragistics that brings data to the center of everything teams work on, has released Part 2 of its two-part Digital Work Trends Report. The report reveals that while almost half of employers (41%) are ready to embrace AI as another member of the team, employees are not aligned with this characterization of the technology. Instead, employees still view AI more as a helpful tool (52%) rather than as a coworker (20%). Even Gen Z (ages 18-28) (28%) and Millennial (ages 29-44) (24%) employees who are the most subscribed to the teammate mentality, see AI’s collaborative potential as a competitive threat, with 19% of Gen Zers and 17% of Millennials expressing concern over being replaced with AI.
Slingshot’s Digital Work Trends Report explores employer and employee sentiment around AI in the workplace, examining levels of reliance, comfortability and training as well as perceptions on AI’s role within teams. The new research also provides a look into the contrast of employers’ and employees’ views on AI, and the differences across generations.
The two-part report is based on research conducted by market research firm Dynata, on behalf of Slingshot.
Additional findings include:
- Employees don’t need AI to do their jobs, but use it for support. AI is being integrated into many organizations, but 54% of employees say that while AI is helpful, it isn’t critical to their work. Only 19% rely on AI and just 2% say they can’t do their job without it.
- AI isn’t as mandatory as the C-suite thinks. C-suite executives (86%) believe that AI usage is being required in their company’s operations, but a zoomed-in look at the on-the-ground workers shows that this isn’t necessarily being carried out. Barely half of mid-level management (49%) agree – and pass on to employees – that AI is a requirement.
- Employees still don’t feel adequately educated on AI tools. As AI becomes more advanced, employee training on the technology isn’t keeping up. Only 8% of employees believe they’re completely trained on AI tools. The younger generation is the most proficient, with Gen Z employees (ages 18-28) demonstrating the most confidence with AI tools (43%) compared to Boomers (ages 61+) (15%).
- C-suite executives think employees are using data more frequently than they are. While employees do lean on data in certain circumstances, only 31% say they use it to drive decisions regularly. This reveals a sharp contrast in how employees are using data and how C-suite executives believe they are, with 70% of the employers stating that employees are constantly relying on data. The top reasons for this lower data usage amongst employees are reliance on their own personal experience (29%) and dependence on a data analyst or team (27%).
“Companies are being told that if they are still looking at AI as just another tool they’re already behind – and are adjusting strategies accordingly. However, while the top office may be putting AI at the center of business processes and decision making, this “teammate mentality” doesn’t automatically trickle down to the entire organization,” said Dean Guida, CEO Infragistics and Founder of Slingshot. “For a company to truly harness AI’s full potential, a bottom-up approach needs to be instituted, focusing on employee’s AI education, clear AI policies and AI transparency.”
Slingshot’s Digital Work Trends Report is based on responses from 500 adult respondents across four age groups and all 50 states. Part 2 of the report can be viewed here.
