- Even with a surge in adoption, 83% of workers say their organisation still has not provided training on AI
- 26% of workers are concerned about being seen as lazy by their colleagues for using AI, while 23% are concerned about being labelled as frauds
- In spite of these hurdles, 66% of workers using generative AI report productivity gains as a result of using the technology
Half (48%) of UK knowledge workers use generative AI at work weekly, despite a staggering 83% saying their organisations have still not provided training for employees on using generative AI.
This is according to the 2024 State of AI at Work report from Asana, Inc, the #1 AI work management platform, and Anthropic. The report, which surveyed 2,500 knowledge workers across the U.K, shows that workers are reaping productivity benefits thanks to an increase in AI use, but a lack of training and guidance means there are hurdles to unlock the most effective use of the technology.
AI adoption surges, but workers are left to their own devices
Despite falling behind the US in AI adoption, AI use in the UK has accelerated by 66% in the last nine months (29% to 48%), outpacing 24% growth in the US (46% to 57%). This trend looks to continue, as 58% of British workers expect to use AI even more often in the coming six months.
In spite of this surge, beneficial use of AI is being hampered by a lack of training and guidance from businesses. When asked to what extent their organisation has implemented AI, the most common answer from workers was that some individuals or teams have an interest but no organisation-wide plans or strategies are in place (42%). It’s no surprise then that half (50%) of workers have taken matters into their own hands through personal experimentation with AI.
Without formal guidance AI literacy is alarmingly low, as 71% of workers have little to no familiarity with the generative AI technologies they could use for their work. Meanwhile, less than a third (29%) can identify more than two AI technologies relevant to their roles.
Workers worried about being perceived as ‘lazy’ or ‘frauds’ for using AI
This lack of guidance has consequences outside of poor AI literacy. Workers are also worried about how they’ll be perceived for using AI – more than a quarter (26%) are concerned about being seen as lazy by their colleagues, while a similar number (24%) are worried about being labelled as frauds.
Many workers also remain uncertain about AI’s role in the workplace, as a third (33%) are concerned that generative AI will replace human workers. However, 78% of British executives believe combining AI with human expertise can result in better outcomes, highlighting the growing recognition of AI’s potential to augment and enhance human capabilities – not replace them.
Training could also help address common worries from workers when it comes to AI. When asked about their top concerns around using AI at work:
- 45% of workers cited incorrect results/outputs
- 47% noted the negative impacts of inaccurate outputs on decision-making
- 31% cited compromised data privacy
- 29% are concerned about biassed results
This highlights the need for organisation’s to produce AI guidelines that assures workers on how data will be safeguarded, and how AI results will be assessed for accuracy and bias.
Those using AI more often are seeing greater productivity gains
Despite these hurdles, two thirds (66%) of workers using generative AI report productivity gains as a result of using the technology, and those that use generative AI more regularly reported higher productivity gains:
- 88% of daily generative AI users reported productivity gains
- 73% of weekly generative AI users reported productivity gains
- 39% of monthly generative AI users reported productivity gains
Workers who use generative AI for nine or more use cases are almost twice as likely to report productivity gains compared to those who use AI in only two or fewer use cases (88% vs 46%).
54% of workers say they feel more optimistic about using generative AI at work today compared to just six months ago, highlighting that employee perception and usage of AI is becoming more positive over time.
Dr. Rebecca Hinds, Head of the Work Innovation Lab at Asana, commented:
“This year’s State of AI at Work report reveals the transformative impact of generative AI in the workplace. As organisations embrace AI, they see significant productivity gains and a shift in how work gets done. Organisations that are more mature in their AI adoption journey harness AI differently, treating it as a collaborative teammate rather than just a tool. They invest in resources, training, robust policies around safety and reliability, and a human-centric approach – in turn realising greater productivity gains. AI integration is as much about change management as it is about technology, and enterprises that harness the combined power of human ingenuity and AI will be best positioned for the future.”
Dianne Penn, Product Manager at Anthropic, said:
“At Anthropic, we envision a future where trusted AI is developed and used responsibly to empower workers, enhance human capabilities, and benefit society as a whole. By prioritising transparency, trust, and collaboration between humans and AI, we can create systems that serve as supportive teammates, augmenting human intelligence rather than replacing it. We have the opportunity to unlock newfound realms of productivity, creativity, and potential – ultimately building a future where cutting-edge technology and human ingenuity combine to help us all reach new heights.”
