Many workers are faking knowledge of AI to make sure they aren’t left behind

Despite a huge uptake in generative AI applications in recent months, new research from Canva reckons that many workers are at risk of being left behind and are opting for the “fake it ‘till you make it” method.

The company’s study of 1,000 professionals revealed that more than one-quarter (26%) had sometimes exaggerated their knowledge of AI in order to keep up with their colleagues.

Despite the clear lack of knowledge, AI in the workplace is clearly regarded as significant and there remains much room for education in the area.

Some workers might not even understand the benefits of AI

The research took a closer look into generative AI, the technology behind popular chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Bard. Canva found that almost 50% more workers were familiar with AI than they were with generative AI specifically. 

It was also noted that the youngest workers were actually not the most on board with GenAI, with 59% of millennials seeing it as beneficial to achieving their full potential compared with 43% of Gen Z. A greater number of Gen Z also saw it as a problem compared with millennials.

Counterintuitively, more workers (43%) had used AI tools for a personal capacity than they had for work (35%). This could suggest that employees are genuinely curious about the technology, but that they lack meaningful training in the workplace in order to reap its benefits.

Canva co-founder and CPO Cameron Adams said: “The AI space is evolving faster than any one of us can grasp alone. It’s a simultaneously thrilling and overwhelming opportunity that people are naturally reacting differently to.”

Adams added: “Creating a culture of sharing AI experiences and learnings among teams can prevent people from feeling behind and spark new discoveries.”

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