Workers are using AI but worry it makes them look lazy

More than one in three Aussie office workers are using AI tools but a growing number are concerned telling their bosses about it will make them look lazy or incompetent. Slack revealed the findings in its Workforce Index study on Tuesday, which also showed Australia had risen to be among the top nations for AI use, and urgency to use the software tools had also grown. The study comes as the federal government considers mandatory rules for high-risk use of the technology, in fields such as recruitment and education, following a public consultation. The Slack Workforce Index, conducted by Qualtrics, surveyed more than 17,000 desk workers across 15 countries, including Australia, the US, UK, Canada and France. It found Australia ranked third in the world for workplace AI use, behind Germany and Japan, with 46 per cent of employees using AI tools to improve their productivity. Most Australian workers (80 per cent) also reported feeling an urgency to become an AI expert, even though more than half (57 per cent) had spent less than five hours training in its use. But perhaps the most telling finding, Slack research and analytics senior vice-president Christina Janzer told AAP, was that 42 per cent of Australian workers said they would feel uncomfortable telling managers they used AI to accomplish tasks. “There are these feelings of guilt that emerge, like people think that using AI is cheating, that they feel like they’re going to be seen as less competent, or they’re going to be seen as lazy,” she said. “What that tells me is that there are a lack of professional norms around what is acceptable when it comes to AI and (workplaces) haven’t established clear guidelines.” Generative AI software could transform businesses and boost productivity, she said, but the survey showed managers and employees were still divided over its use. Executives thought time saved by using AI tools would be invested in training and innovation, the study found, while employees expected to use any additional time on more administrative tasks and existing projects. Clearer guidelines, formal training and better communication could create more efficient, less stressful working environments, Ms Janzer said, “I hope this data is a little bit of a wake-up call that we need to spend more time investing in people,” she said. “We could have the most amazing technology in the world but if people don’t actually use it and if people feel nervous about using it, that’s going to be a really big problem.” Research from the McKinsey Global Institute estimated the use of generative AI tools could boost corporate profits worldwide by $US2.6 to $US4.4 trillion a year. The Tech Council of Australia found the technology could also create up to 200,000 additional jobs by 2030.