Nearly 40% of workers think generative AI can help with workplace communication

You might assume that workers would oppose the implementation of generative AI for fear of losing their jobs. Instead, a new survey shows that workers want it to automate a lot of their tasks, and AI implementation would actually help them stay in their jobs longer. 

Humanwork’s Human Workplace Index surveyed 1,000 US full-time workers regarding their thoughts on generative AI in the workplace. Over half of the respondents (58.4%) said they did not feel like generative AI put their jobs at risk. 

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Moreover, the survey found that the workers believe AI will help enhance and expand human communication in the workplace, with 38.5% of workers stating that they are confident that AI will make digital communications easier.

Examples of digital communications in the workplace include Slack messages, emails, other everyday team communication methods, and even performance reviews or feedback delivery, which could easily be replaced by AI-generated text. 

In the survey, only half of the workers could distinguish between AI-generated and human messages, showing the potential of AI-automated messages in the workplace. Furthermore, out of the 432 managers surveyed, 40% reported they would use generative AI in their performance reviews. 

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The workers also seem confident in the technology’s ability to make their work experience better, with 19% of workers saying that AI implementation would make them more likely to stay at their jobs and 32.2% saying that they think it will make their jobs easier, not replace them. 

Specifically, some tasks the workers would like to see automated include time management and scheduling (36.4%), drafting/sending emails (33.5%), quick communications (29.7%), accounting (22.7%, shipping/logistics (22.3%), administrative work (21.1%), feedback and performance reviews (19.2%), creative work (19%), hiring and recruiting (17.6%) and manual labor (14.4%). 

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The tasks at the top of the list are primarily ones that are time-consuming, can be easily automated, and involve interpersonal team communication and collaboration. A workplace where these tasks are AI-automated is closer than you may think. 

Already, many productivity platforms such as Slack, Otter.AI, Gmail, and Grammarly are incorporating AI into their platform to provide workers with the capabilities to generate emails and messages, schedule and summarize meetings, and more.