Artificial intelligence has of late become an indispensable tool for professionals across sectors. The same has been conformed by a Freshworks report that highlights the rapid acceleration of AI in workplace, who has in return yielded significant benefits for various teams. According to Freshworks’ Global AI Workplace Report, employees across India and the Middle East are leading the trend with the highest levels of artificial intelligence usage and expertise.
The report, which surveyed 7,000 professionals globally across sectors like HR, IT, customer services, finance, sales, marketing, and legal, shows that a remarkable 88% of workers in these regions use AI-powered software solutions with ease. This proficiency allows them to save two more hours per week compared to their global counterparts, who save an average of three hours and forty-seven minutes weekly.
Why Employees Leverage AI in Workplace
The data revealed in the report highlights that knowledge workers are capitalizing on AI in workplace to stay ahead of the race. Employees largely recognize the emerging technology as a game-changer, and often tend to use it even without explicit awareness. The report highlights several key insights into why employees are turning to AI, such as:
- Significant productivity improvements are observed due to AI integration in the workplace.
- Certain departments are leading in AI usage.
- Teams demonstrate varying levels of confidence in their AI capabilities.
- Companies are actively measuring the return on investment (ROI) of their AI initiatives.
- Trust in AI varies across different generational groups.
Usage of AI in Workplace Leads to Privacy and Training Concerns
Despite the benefits, privacy remains a major concern. Over half (54%) of Indian employees admit to using free versions of online AI tools like ChatGPT, while 30% of global employees express concerns about the sources of AI data. This raises significant data security issues, as sensitive company information may be leaked and used to train external AI models. Moreover, nearly 70% of employees in India and the Middle East expect new hires to have AI expertise, a stark contrast to the US (33%) and UK (32%), thus highlighting the growing importance of AI skills in the job market.
Sandie Overtveld, senior vice president and general manager for APJ and MEA, Freshworks commented: “This study presents a fascinating overview of AI adoption globally. We’re particularly impressed by the high levels of usage and expertise in India and the Middle East. However, privacy issues are a concern to many. To foster trust and fully realize the advantages of this technology, businesses must prioritize data protection and ethical AI practices.”
Investment in AI and Future Outlook
Investment in AI is also on the rise. More than half (57%) of managers and higher-level employees in India and the Middle East plan to allocate more funds for AI-powered software in 2023, the study has found. Senior employees believe that AI-enabled software will significantly impact businesses within the next two years, with 56% of managers, especially in IT and Marketing, reporting a better ROI from AI compared to other software. Some of the other key takeaways from the report are as follows:
- AI saves 24 business days per year.
- 85% of IT departments use AI at least once a week.
- 70% of workers want to develop AI skills to stay marketable.
- 72% of workers trust AI to enhance work processes.
- 80% of senior employees believe in AI’s business impact within two years.
Prakash Ramamurthy, chief product officer at Freshworks, stated: ”Knowledge workers are seeing strong productivity gains at work, sparking keen interest in mastering AI skills. The AI era is firmly delivering on its promise to free up employees for higher-level work and showcasing compelling returns on AI.”
