Workers are afraid they’ll be labeled as lazy for using AI

New research from work management software company Asana has found one in four workers are worried that their employers may perceive them as being lazy because they use AI tools.

The study of more than 4,500 US and UK workers found that more than one-third (36%) use AI at least once a week in their job – a trend that is most notable in the US where the figure is 46%.

The mixed emotions come amid worldwide AI uptake, and even managers are finding themselves using and preferring to use AI to get the job done.

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Asana reckons that 55% of executives expect their companies to use AI for goal-setting, and more than half (51%) are even willing to pay more for tools that are powered by AI.

Artificial intelligence has the power to sift through huge amounts of data that could otherwise take multiple workers hours or more. Generative AI then allows workers to interact with this data in order to summarize it and gain further insight.

Data analysis and administrative work are clearly areas of business that can be given an efficiency boost with the time-saving tech, but again, there’s a clear disparity between the US and the UK, with American workers seemingly more prepared to get on board with AI.

Furthermore, one in five workers believe that using AI in the workplace could be fraudulent. Asana CIO Saket Srivastava said: “Employees can’t navigate this AI shift alone.”

Fewer than a quarter of companies have policies and guidance on AI use at work, and fewer than one-fifth of workers have been adequately trained on the time-saving technology.

Srivastava added: “[Workers] need clear guidelines to understand AI’s role in their functions, along with tailored training and accessible technologies to fully harness AI’s capabilities. Organizations that get this right will leverage AI in a way that unlocks new levels of human ingenuity.”

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