There’s no question that artificial intelligence, especially generative AI tools like ChatGPT, has had an enormous impact on the world of work. Generative AI can support employees in numerous ways, enhancing productivity, creativity, and efficiency across various roles and industries.
However, the widespread excitement around AI may be outpacing employees’ ability to learn how to use these tools in a way that meaningfully enhances their productivity. That’s according to a new study from my company, Workplace Intelligence, and Upwork, which found that 77% of employees say AI has actually added to their workload in at least one way.
This comes at a time when most people are already overwhelmed and exhausted at work. Seventy-one percent of the employees we surveyed say they’re burned out and nearly two-thirds (65%) report struggling with increasing employer demands.
For some, AI is adding to their workload, rather than reducing it
Unfortunately, our research revealed that AI isn’t always delivering on its productivity promise — at least not quite yet. For example, 39% of workers report that they’re spending additional time reviewing or moderating AI-generated content. Others note that they’ve had to invest time learning how to use these tools, and some say they’re being asked to do more work now that they’re using AI.
All of this is in stark contrast to the excitement and optimism that executives are feeling. Nearly all (96%) of the leaders we surveyed say they expect the use of AI tools to increase their company’s overall productivity levels. Already, 39% report that their company mandates the use of AI tools, with an additional 46% encouraging their use.
Be clear-eyed about how ready and skilled your teams are
Some leaders are overestimating their workers’ readiness for new technologies. At companies using AI, 37% of the C-suite believe their workforce is “highly” skilled and comfortable with these tools, but only 17% of employees actually reported this level of skill and comfort. In fact, the reality is that nearly half (47%) of employees using AI say they have no idea how to achieve the productivity gains their employers expect.
The key takeaway from our research? As exciting as AI is, companies are creating more strain on their employees by requiring them to adopt this new technology without first examining their readiness for AI and putting the proper systems in place for them to be successful.
Let’s look at how employers can better support their workforce on their journey to AI adoption and other ways leaders can boost AI expertise within their organization.
1. Offer AI training programs tailored to different roles
It may seem obvious that any new workplace tool would require a well-developed implementation plan. However, Upwork found that only a quarter (26%) of companies have AI training programs in place for their workforce and just 13% report a well-implemented AI strategy.
This means that most organizations are relying on employees to figure things out on their own — a risky and unreliable strategy. Leaving workers to fend for themselves is also likely to cost them a lot of wasted time and effort sifting through the wide variety of training programs that are available today.
Smart leaders aren’t just offering educational resources to upskill employees — they’re also ensuring that this training is highly tailored to individual teams or employees. Generative AI tools have numerous applications in the world of work, and it’s critical that employers guide their staff to the right technologies for their specific roles.
2. Allow time for experimentation and learning
One of the main reasons people are struggling to realize the productivity gains of AI is because they simply haven’t had enough time to learn how to use the new tools that are available to them. But with 96% of executives saying they expect AI to increase productivity, there’s no doubt that most workers are feeling an immense amount of pressure to move quickly.
Leaders who want AI to feel like a beneficial tool — not a hassle — should make the path to implementation less stressful for their team members. This means allowing workers to take a more long-term approach to learning about AI and incorporating it in their role. Employers also need to ensure that employees have adequate time during the workday to take training courses, such as these popular ones offered through LinkedIn Learning, and experiment with new tools.
At an even more fundamental level, companies need to address any existing workforce burnout issues before they pile on new expectations for AI adoption. Workers who are barely scraping by simply won’t have the bandwidth to learn about these new tools, no matter how beneficial they might be.
3. Leverage external talent to fill in the gaps
If your workforce is struggling with overwhelming levels of burnout, it might not make sense to burden them with learning how to use AI tools right now. Instead, it may be wise to bring in external experts — for example, data scientists or AI consultants — who are already familiar with these tools and can move quickly to implement them for your organization.
In my company’s study with Upwork, we found that nearly half (48%) of freelancers say they’re “somewhat” or “highly” skilled at using AI. Over a third (34%) are already using AI tools at least 1 to 2 days per week.
We also saw that freelancers are struggling with lower levels of burnout than full-time employees, indicating that they may be better-situated to deliver on leaders’ AI-related expectations. In fact, 48% of the C-suite report hiring freelance workers to execute delayed AI projects over the past year.
4. Unlock the full productivity value of AI
Artificial Intelligence certainly isn’t going anywhere, and it’s already being used to solve some of the greatest challenges of our time. When it comes to generative AI, these tools can be used to boost productivity, eliminate mundane or repetitive tasks, and more.
However, for many of today’s overworked employees, it may all be “too much, too soon.” Business leaders who don’t want their company to fall behind may need to revisit AI training programs, shift their expectations for their workforce, or consider leveraging alternative talent pools.
This post was originally published in the Workplace Intelligence Newsletter.
Dan Schawbel is a New York Times best-selling author and managing partner of Workplace Intelligence. Dan has spent his career researching and advising on workplace and career success. He’s the author of three career books: Back to Human, Promote Yourself, and Me 2.0. Dan has conducted dozens of research studies and worked with major brands including Oracle, WeWork, American Express, Amazon, Facebook, and Coca-Cola. In addition, Dan has written for publications such as TIME, Forbes, the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, and the World Economic Forum. He currently publishes the LinkedIn Workplace Intelligence Newsletter and hosts the 5 Questions podcast with guests that have included Richard Branson, Natalie Portman, Stacey Abrams, and Marcus Lemonis.
