Workers Trust AI for Autonomous Tasks; Human Involvement Remains Key

Today’s workforce is beginning to trust artificial intelligence (AI) to manage a large portion of their tasks, according to new research by Salesforce. The study reveals that workers are most comfortable when AI and humans collaborate but are also starting to trust AI to independently handle time-saving tasks such as writing code, uncovering data insights, and drafting written communications.

However, workers are not yet ready to delegate everything to AI. The research shows a preference for humans to oversee tasks like onboarding, training, and maintaining data security. This trend may change as investing in knowledge and education builds trust in an autonomous AI future.

The Salesforce study surveyed nearly 6,000 people globally, indicating excitement about a future powered by AI. Workers emphasized the importance of a human touch in building trust, knowledge, and experience with AI tools.

Leaders are more trusting of AI than their employees, with leaders delegating 51% of their work to AI compared to 40% by rank-and-file workers. On average, workers trust AI to handle 43% of their tasks, showing a trend toward offloading more work to AI.

Seventy-seven percent of global workers believe they will eventually trust AI to operate autonomously. This includes 10% who trust AI today, 26% who will trust AI in less than three years, and 41% who will trust AI in three or more years. Currently, 54% of global workers prefer AI-human collaboration for most tasks. A smaller group trusts AI to handle certain tasks autonomously, such as writing code (15%), uncovering data insights (13%), developing communications (12%), and acting as a personal assistant (12%).

Workers prefer humans alone for tasks requiring inclusivity (47%), onboarding and training (46%), and data security (40%). Human involvement is critical to building trust in AI. Sixty-three percent of global workers believe more human involvement would increase their trust in AI. Fifty-four percent of workers are unaware of how AI is implemented or governed in their workplace. Workers knowledgeable about AI implementation are five times more likely to trust AI to operate autonomously within two years.

Sixty-two percent of workers think that more skill-building and training opportunities would increase their trust in AI. There is a notable gender gap in AI knowledge, with males being 94% more likely to understand AI implementation and governance compared to females.

“Workers are excited about an AI-powered future, and the research shows us that human engagement can help us get there. By empowering humans at the helm of today’s AI systems, we can build trust and drive adoption – enabling workers to unlock all that AI has to offer,” said Paula Goldman, Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer.

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This article, "Workers Trust AI for Autonomous Tasks; Human Involvement Remains Key" was first published on Small Business Trends