AI on the sly: more Aussies are using chatbots for work
One in three Australian workers are using AI to get ahead without telling their employer, and even more say using the technology makes them feel like they’re cheating.
But a study has found that their guilty secret is improving productivity in the workplace, and businesses could reap greater benefits if they openly supported its use.
Software provider Employment Hero released findings from a study of more than 2,600 employees and employers on Tuesday; This research also found that many workers are training themselves to use AI tools with materials found online.
The results come after the National Artificial Intelligence Center reported that almost half of Australian organizations had adopted the technology, but 19 per cent said they were still unsure how to use it.
The report, The Workplace AI Paradox, surveyed more than 1000 Australian business leaders and 1600 workers about their use and experiences of AI tools.
It found that three in four Australian workers think AI has increased their productivity (75 per cent) and almost the same number say it has improved the quality of their work (74 per cent).
But one in three employees have secretly used AI tools without company approval, and employers report that many staff use personal AI accounts at work (44%).
James Keene, managing director of Employment Hero Asia Pacific, said more than half of employees using AI are teaching themselves how to do it, which can lead to bad consequences.
“Most of it goes straight to TikTok and YouTube and various blogs and websites rather than any company-owned material on how to actually best use AI,” he told AAP.
“If you imagined five years ago that employees were having to secretly go to their own resources to make them more productive for the business they were working for, it’s a pretty interesting place we find ourselves.”
Mr. Keene said many employees hide their use of AI out of guilt, with two in five employees saying using the tools feels like cheating, while others worry about job losses caused by AI.
He said businesses can change these attitudes by openly discussing ways they use technology and setting clear rules.
“There’s a real lesson here for employers; if you really want to encourage your employees to use this technology, you need to show them it yourself,” he said.
UNSW Sydney researcher Dr Anna Kiaos said unclear guidance could create a stressful environment for workers, but this could be remedied by leadership.
“Technology isn’t the only thing holding the workforce back right now; it’s uncertainty about whether employees are actually allowed to use that technology in the way that suits them,” he said.
