EY poll: Excitement and anxiety about AI, in equal measures

Workers are both excited about artificial intelligence and anxious about it in roughly equal measure.

According to a recent survey from Big Four firm EY, while 77% of respondents said they generally trust AI, almost as many — 71% — said they have anxieties about the technology. That means a significant portion hold some degree of both trust and fear. EY said this is not just a matter of people not getting to know AI: AI exposure has actually increased people's anxieties, not decreased them, with about half (48%) more concerned about AI than they were a year ago.

On the one hand, most believe AI will make them more efficient (82%), more productive (81%) and able to focus on higher-value work (81%). Further, most (76%) say AI has already had a positive impact on their personal experience at work. Regardless of feeling, though, the poll found 90% already use at least some AI in their work in some form or another.

At the same time, people cited concerns about AI adoption making certain jobs obsolete (75%), negative impacts on pay/salary (72%) and career growth. Career concerns include losing out on promotions for not knowing how to use AI technology (67%) and falling behind if they don't use AI at work (66%). They also cited a number of concerns about AI itself, including the speed of adoption being too fast, the quality of AI outputs being insufficient or even inaccurate, cybersecurity risks, legal risks surrounding intellectual property rights, and moral and ethical considerations such as bias and discrimination.

While 81% of employees say AI technology organizations need to self-regulate more, nearly as many, 78%, say the government needs to play a bigger role in regulating AI technology. This appears to indicate that people want more caution and oversight of AI in general, whether it comes from the private sector or public.

When asked about what might actually address their fears, 81% said they want best practices on responsible AI to be routinely shared, 80% want more AI training/upskilling opportunities, and 77% want senior leaders to promote the responsible/ethical use of AI. Meanwhile, when asked what would make people view an organization that uses AI positively, 82% said if the organization told them how its data was being used by AI, 78% said if the organization disclosed its use of AI to them, and 76% said if the organization's AI applications were reviewed by a trusted third party (perhaps, say, an accountant?)

"With the wealth of opportunities that AI brings, it also carries a new set of risks — risks that are top of mind for employees. While the technology is prevalent, increased exposure to AI is leading to increased anxiety for many. It's important for leaders to meet employees where they are in their AI journey, and add employee engagement to their AI agendas. Armed with a deeper understanding of what is driving anxiety around AI, organizations can then take the appropriate steps to work through workforce concerns and equip their people for today's, and tomorrow's, challenges," said the EY report.

The survey used a sample of 1,000 Americans who work an office/desk job and are at least somewhat familiar with artificial intelligence.