New findings reveal AI adoption is high, but training rates are low
Organisations are being urged to have a clear people strategy as part of the roll out of generative AI tools in order to maximise the technology's potential in the workplace.
The call came after the Boston Consulting Group's (BCG) annual survey among more than 10,600 workers across 11 countries showed high adoption rates but low training rates.
On average, 72% of employees across the world use AI at least several times a week, with India (92%), the Middle East (87%), and Spain (78%) showing the highest levels of regular use.
Despite the high levels of adoption, the report found that only 36% of employees feel adequately trained for AI use.
A third of employees (37%) also said their company is not supplying the right tools, while only a quarter said they have sufficient support from leadership on how and when to use AI at work.
Sylvain Duranton, Global Leader of BCG X and a coauthor of the report, said companies cannot simply roll out generative AI tools and expect transformation.
"Our research shows the real returns come when businesses invest in upskilling their people, redesign how work gets done, and align leadership around AI strategy," Duranton said in a statement.
According to the report, employers should stop underestimating the importance of training. It said at least five hours of instruction, in-person sessions, and coaching are key components of effective training.
"Companies that reshape their workflows and invest in people are seeing superior results," said Vinciane Beauchene, Global Lead on Human x AI at BCG and a report coauthor, in a statement.
"But that transformation must be accompanied by a clear people strategy and development engine to boost adoption and tackle the impacts it will have on work, the worker and the workforce."
The report added that it is also crucial to invest in people to reshape workflows amid its potential impact on employment.
BCG's findings showed that the top adopters of AI are also the places where fear of job loss is the highest.
"Invest in your people to reshape workflows and unlock AI's value," the report read. "Anticipate the technology's impact on work, workers, and the workforce. Build upskilling and reskilling capabilities to support workforce deployment."
