Today’s employees already use AI to perform nearly half of their work tasks, though they prefer to collaborate with it rather than delegate it entirely. They are beginning to rely on it to autonomously perform time-saving tasks such as writing code, analyzing data, and drafting communications.
This is highlighted by a recent study by Salesforce, which shows that despite the data, workers still do not fully trust AI for all their responsibilities. In particular, they prefer tasks related to data security to be supervised by humans. But this preference could soon change, as the survey also indicates that investment in education and knowledge increases confidence in a future dominated by autonomous AI.
“Workers are excited about an AI-powered future and this study shows that human engagement can help us get there. By putting humans at the helm of today’s AI systems, we can build trust and drive adoption, enabling workers to discover all that AI can offer them,” said Paula Goldman, Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer.
Autonomous AI
- Trust in AI and Task Delegation. Managers rely more on artificial intelligence (AI) than rank-and-file employees, using it for 51% of their work, compared to 40% for regular employees. On average, current workers use AI for 43% of their work tasks. 77% of employees are expected to rely on AI to work autonomously in the future: 10% already do, 26% will do so in less than three years, and 41% will do so in more than three years.
77% of workers are confident in a future of autonomous AI, but human intervention remains essential
- Preference for Human-AI Collaboration. Currently, 54% of workers prefer collaboration between humans and AI. However, some already delegate specific tasks to AI autonomously, such as writing code (15%), extracting information from data (13%), developing communications (12%) and acting as a personal assistant (12%). Still, for functions such as inclusion (47%), onboarding and training staff (46%) and data protection (40%), they prefer human intervention.
- Increasing Confidence in AI. 63% of employees believe that more human involvement would increase their trust in AI. Lack of understanding about the implementation of AI in the workplace is a concern, with 54% not knowing how it is applied or governed. Those informed about its implementation are five times more likely to trust autonomous AI in the next two years. Additionally, 62% of workers believe that more training and skills development opportunities would increase their trust in AI.
