Leaders and employees not seeing eye to AI

AI implementation has been a well-known focus for a wide range of Australian businesses. Yet, as the hype continues to increase, the gap in trust between workers and leaders continues to expand.

New research presented by Qualtrics has revealed the growing distrust between employees and leaders when it comes to the implementation of AI in the workplace. According to the data, only 45 per cent of employees fully trust their leaders to implement AI effectively – 15 per cent lower than that of senior leaders.

Along with this difference, there was a 27-point gap between employees and executives in viewing AI’s positive impact on jobs. Exacerbating the disconnect is the lack of belief among employees at the manager level or below (46 per cent) that their bosses will prioritise their wellbeing over profits when making decisions about new technologies like AI.

“The relationship between employees and their bosses is already tense, and ongoing changes in the workplace are intensifying this friction,” said Dr Cecelia Herbert, workplace behavioural scientist at Qualtrics.

“AI is a prominent source of disruption right now, and we are all depending on organisations to navigate this new landscape with the highest level of integrity.”

“As leaders explore the potential of AI, it cannot be overstated how critical it is for leaders to build trust with employees. This requires demonstrating care for people, as well as seeking out and valuing diverse perspectives, so they can make informed, transparent decisions.”

This needed trust between employees and employers isn’t translating to the modern workplace, as the data also showed that only 34 per cent of employees at manager level or below have claimed that AI is being deployed in the workplace with clear principles, ethics, and guidelines, compared to 53 per cent of senior leaders.

There is also a key disconnect with the direction in which AI implementation is supposed to go. Most leaders automatically assume that since productivity is increasing, output should also. However, workers have claimed that the added time curated from AI will instead be focused on improving efficiency (43 per cent) or engaging in new tasks (39 per cent).

“The productivity promise of AI lies in increasing the quality and efficiency of work rather than merely delivering more of it. However, on the surface, there appears to be another point of misalignment on the value of AI – while executives are bullish about productivity and efficiency boosts, employees don’t necessarily see it that way,” said Herbert.

“These insights are encouraging for organisations, as they demonstrate that employees are focused on improving the services, products, and experiences they deliver.”

Kace O'Neill

Kace O'Neill is a Graduate Journalist for HR Leader. Kace studied Media Communications and Maori studies at the University of Otago, he has a passion for sports and storytelling.