Business growth ‘stalled’ due to underutilisation of AI

Employers who are failing to see the potential of AI are lagging behind, with new research showing poor tech costs companies up to six months of working hours per year.

A recent study has revealed that professionals realise the benefits that artificial intelligence (AI) technology can bring to the workplace. However, many are still not taking the lunge to begin utilising it.

The Future Digital of Work: Australia report by Adobe revealed that 91 per cent of Aussie employees believe that generative AI is helpful, and 85 per cent say the same thing about automation.

However, just 51 per cent of employers have implemented AI in the workplace, and just 25 per cent of workers have access.

This disconnect could see growth stalled, said Chandra Sinnathamby, director of digital media B2B strategy and GTM Asia-Pacific at Adobe.

“The insights revealed through the report indicate that while knowledge workers recognise the importance of digital tools, proficiency lags behind, with poor technology hampering productivity,” said Mr Sinnathamby.

Poor tech in the workplace costs companies up to six months of working hours per year, Adobe found. Meanwhile, 87 per cent of employees say poor technology impacts productivity, and 13 per cent are willing to quit over it.

“Embracing the power of digital technologies is the key to unlocking productivity and satisfaction in the future workforce. Automation and AI hold the potential to revolutionise work, while generative AI offers promise in enhancing document workflows, increasing efficiency, and delivering higher-quality work,” Mr Sinnathamby explained.

“By overcoming barriers and embracing technology, we can pave the way for a future where productivity is empowered, and the full potential of workers is unleashed.”

Sixty-six per cent of knowledge workers believe that their companies should use generative AI; however, just 22 per cent of companies currently use it.

It appears almost everyone is in agreement that productivity can be boosted through the use of AI. Ninety-three per cent of leaders and 86 per cent of employees say so.

The top impacts of AI listed by respondents are:

1. It helps me to work faster (57 per cent).
2. It saves me time (50 per cent).
3. It reduces boring work (37 per cent).
4. It helps me do things I could never do (32 per cent).
5. It has completely positively changed how I do work (24 per cent).

Organisations can help improve productivity and employee satisfaction by looking into the positive effects AI can have on processes. Potential ways AI can help in the workplace, as listed by respondents, are:

1. It would help me to integrate information from different sources faster (86 per cent).
2. I could work faster (86 per cent).
3. I could reduce or eliminate hard, boring, or redundant work (84 per cent).
4. I could do more work (83 per cent).
5. I could create better quality work (83 per cent).
6. I could consume more information (83 per cent).
7. I would have more time for interesting work (83 per cent).
8. It would free my brain to be more creative and strategic (80 per cent).
9. It would help me understand complex concepts better and faster (77 per cent).
10. It would make me want to stay at my job (72 per cent).

Jack Campbell

Jack is the editor at HR Leader.