Global Survey Reveals Growing Trust Gap in AI Deployment Among Leaders and Employees

Employees and business leaders have both shown apprehension towards AI development and deployment within their companies, raising concerns about job security and employee interests.

There seems to be a trust gap found at every level in the workplace related to the responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI).

A recent study published by Workday sheds light on these growing concerns among both business leaders and employees regarding AI’s role and how it will impact their business. According to the survey, only 62% of business leaders and 52% of employees welcome AI.

This apprehension towards AI adoption is rooted in a lack of confidence in organizations to prioritize employee interests and responsibly implement AI. Notably, 23% of employees in the study are not confident that their organization prioritizes employee interests above its own when implementing AI.

WorkDay’s survey also suggests a desire for human intervention in AI processes. While 70% of business leaders agree that AI should allow for human review and intervention, 42% of employees believe their companies lack clarity on which systems should be automated and which require human intervention. The uncertainty revealed in the study extends to AI governance, with 24% of employees saying that their organization is collaborating on AI regulation and only 22% stating their company has shared guidelines on responsible AI use.

According to Jim Stratton, Chief Technology Officer at Workday, “We’re at a time where building confidence in the responsible development and use of AI is non-negotiable and must extend across all levels of the organization. The tipping point for AI success will be an organization’s ability to create trust through transparency. The challenge is that AI innovation needs to be balanced with an unwavering commitment to smart governance and communication.”

As AI becomes more commonly integrated into business processes around the world, the need for transparent, responsible governance and ethical standards/guardrails becomes increasingly important as well. The workforce’s apprehension and the leadership’s recognition of these concerns suggest that knowledge workers and early adopters of AI are planning to use be more rigorous in AI governance and ethical considerations when incorporating the technology, which is a positive sign for the workforce overall.