Optimism about artificial intelligence grows as more people use it, says BCG report

Generative AI has been making headlines a lot in recent months, but how much are people actually using the technology in their work?

It turns out that 46% of all employees have “tested” generative intelligence at least once, according to a new survey of 12,800 employees in 18 countries by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). by BCG). the big three” major global consulting firms along with McKinsey & Company.

“That’s a really big number, but I’m not at all surprised either because we’ve seen the number of users of these generative AI products skyrocket,” Steve Mills, CEO, Partner and Chief AI Ethics Officer. A BCG employee said in an interview with VentureBeat.

More impressively, 26% of respondents reported using generative AI several times a week.

AI optimism is growing

And perhaps the best news for AI developers, companies and tool vendors. The BCG report found that the percentage of respondents who viewed AI optimistically increased as they used the technology more, while their concerns about the technology decreased.

More than half (62%) of survey respondents who said they were regular users of generative AI ranked optimism as one of their top two sentiments about it, compared to just 36% of non-users. Overall, optimism about AI is up 17% from the last time BCG surveyed people about technology (five years ago), while concern has fallen from 40% in 2018 to just 30% this year.

As the report says. “Optimism increases with familiarity, and respondents who regularly use generative intelligence are significantly more optimistic than those who never use it.”

Leaders like AI more than front-line workers for now

There are significant differences in the use and attitude towards technology depending on the employee’s level in their organizational hierarchy.

BCG divided the 12,800 respondents into three main categories: front-line employees, managers and leaders. While the report doesn’t say how many employees are in each category, it says respondents were chosen to reflect a 10% to 5% split between an average of 85% of front-line employees, managers and supervisors, indicating that most of the respondents are first-line employees.

A majority (80%) of managers said they regularly use generative AI tools, compared to just 20% of frontline employees.

Nearly two-thirds (62%) of leaders expressed optimism about AI, but only 42% of frontline employees shared this sentiment, revealing a significant disconnect between management and their staff. With reports of AI already replacing some jobs, it really shouldn’t come as much of a shock that frontline workers are the most concerned and least optimistic about the technology.

Broad support for AI regulations

The survey also revealed broad support for AI-specific regulations across all employee groups. The majority of respondents (79%) indicated that such regulations are necessary, with the Middle East expressing the highest demand for regulation at 89% and Germany the lowest at 64%.

The report concludes with three key recommendations for leaders: First, it encourages organizations to create spaces for responsible experimentation with AI. Second, it highlights the need for continuous improvement to help employees adapt to the ways in which AI will change their work. Finally, it highlights the importance of building a responsible AI program as employees seek guidance and reassurance that their organizations are approaching AI ethically.

As AI continues to develop at a rapid pace, this report highlights the need for businesses to not only embrace the technology, but also ensure its ethical and responsible use. This is a call to action for leaders to bridge the AI ​​sentiment and understanding gap in their organizations and to actively participate in the shaping of AI regulations.