Since 2022, the use of AI in the workplace has been consistently climbing, with both businesses and politicians encouraging the establishment of an AI-enabled workforce.
Though it is clear that AI is a part of many people’s daily professional routines, either through personal use or company mandates, research into its use could suggest a mismatch between the deployment of AI tools and the ability to use them effectively and responsibly.
New research commissioned by business software company the Access Group and conducted by YouGov sought to examine how firms are preparing their workforces as AI becomes increasingly key to day-to-day activities, with some potentially concerning results.
AI is everywhere, but skills lag behind
Unsurprisingly in the past few years AI adoption among businesses has skyrocketed. There are various figures regarding just how common the use of AI in the workplace is but generally speaking in the UK it comes to about half of businesses and similarly around half of the workforce.
YouGov and the Access Group in their research found that 44% of employees are using AI tools in some form, though the majority of them, roughly 70%, said this amounted to experimenting with existing AI tools in their daily work.
As it turns out, less than a fifth had taken any kind of AI training, with most development where it exists taking the form of informal tip-sharing among colleagues.
Looking at business decision-makers and HR leaders, they come at just barely ahead, with 32% having engaged in some kind of formal training.
So, while use of AI is extremely common in the workplace, the majority of people are essentially winning it.
“Businesses have invested heavily in AI, but they haven’t done as well at addressing the disconnect that exists in their people’s ability to use it,” said Caroline Fanning, chief employee success officer at the Access Group. “This has resulted in a significant internal skills gap.”
What’s the problem?
While casually experimenting with AI in one’s work can be a useful exercise, the Access Group noted that if use of AI increases while formal training does not, a lot of problems can arise.
For one thing, staff who are expected to integrate AI tools into their workplaces often don’t feel they have the necessary skills to do so.
“As a result, HR teams are caught in a cycle of being overtasked with administrative functions and not having time to fulfil their role in providing the very training needed to build their workforce’s skill set,” Fanning said.
Moreover, employees could find themselves unaware of their exposure to AI errors. The research found that just 3% of polled workers believed their lack of AI training was a big workplace concern, which the Access Group said could inflate the risk of unchecked AI mistakes, misapplication and accountability gaps.
“The data is telling us something important: employees aren’t resistant to AI – they’re enthusiastic but navigating genuinely new territory. And so are the leaders responsible for supporting them,” Fanning said.
“What matters is that businesses respond with structure, guidance and a genuine will to educate.”
