Salesforce AI Study: Reshaping the Workplace, Building Trust

From virtual assistants and chatbots to advanced data analytics and autonomous systems, AI applications are becoming increasingly prevalent in our daily lives.

And as AI continues to evolve, its impact on the workplace is becoming more pronounced. Companies are leveraging AI to automate routine tasks, enhance decision-making processes and unlock new insights from complex data sets. This shift is not only improving efficiency and productivity but also creating entirely new opportunities for innovation and growth. However, the rise of AI also raises important questions about the future of work, the relationship between humans and machines and the ethical implications of increasingly autonomous systems.

Now, research from Salesforce has shed light on this topic, offering valuable insights into the current state of AI adoption in the workplace and the path toward a more autonomous future.

The Salesforce study, which surveyed nearly 6,000 people worldwide, reveals a growing acceptance of AI in the workplace, with workers already trusting AI to handle a significant portion of their tasks. On average, the report found that global workers currently trust AI to perform 43% of their work duties, indicating a substantial shift in attitudes toward AI-assisted work.

AI and trust: The future is bright

Interestingly, the research highlights a disparity between leaders and rank-and-file employees in their trust of AI. Leaders are more inclined to embrace AI, trusting it to handle 51% of their work, compared to 40% for regular employees. This difference suggests that those in leadership positions may have a more optimistic outlook on AI’s capabilities and potential benefits.

Looking ahead, the future appears bright for AI adoption, with 77% of global workers believing they will eventually trust AI to operate autonomously. This includes 10% who already trust AI to work independently, 26% who anticipate trusting autonomous AI within three years and 41% who expect to reach this level of trust in three or more years.

While workers currently say they prefer collaboration between humans and AI for most tasks, there is a growing willingness to entrust certain activities entirely to AI. Tasks such as writing code (15%), uncovering data insights (13%), developing communications (12%) and acting as a personal assistant (12%) are areas where some workers are comfortable with AI operating autonomously.

However, the research also identifies areas where human involvement is still highly valued. Tasks related to inclusivity, employee onboarding and training, and data security are currently seen as best handled by humans alone.

The study also found that 63% of global workers believe more human involvement would increase their trust in AI. Additionally, workers who understand how AI is implemented and governed in their workplace are five times more likely to trust autonomous AI within the next two years compared to those lacking this knowledge.

As organisations continue to integrate AI into their operations, investing in employee education and skill-building will be crucial. With 62% of workers stating that more training opportunities would enhance their trust in AI, fostering AI literacy and providing hands-on experience with the technology will be key to building confidence in an AI-powered future.

“Workers are excited about an AI-powered future and the research shows us that human engagement can help us get there,” comments Paula Goldman, Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer at Salesforce. “By empowering humans at the helm of today’s AI systems, we can build trust and drive adoption – enabling workers to unlock all that AI has to offer.”

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