Generative AI in the workplace: Threat or opportunity?

According to a Capterra UK report, the majority (96%) of employees that use generative AI tools at work said it increased their productivity to some degree, with more than half (56%) saying it did ’significantly’. 

In addition, 85% of workers somewhat or strongly agreed that this technology helped their business develop more innovative and creative work, suggesting its potential to empower teams across multiple departments and industries.

To gather insights into the impact of generative artificial intelligence in the workplace, Capterra surveyed 496 UK-based employees who use this technology at least twice per month for work. 

Overall, the results showed an appreciation of generative AI, with most of the surveyed employees also acknowledging that it:

saved their company time (83%)

saved their company money (81%)

gave their company a competitive edge (80%)

helped improve business performance (79%)  

—and 70% even agreed to some degree that content generated by AI software was better than human-generated content.

How employees are using generative AI 

As companies reap its benefits, generative AI is becoming widely used and accepted in the workplace: 61% of respondents said that a significant portion of their company was actively using these tools at work, and 93% stated they had informed their company that they were using them.

When the workers were asked when they leveraged these tools, the most common uses were for text editing (41%), text creation (40%), and analytics and reporting (40%).

ChatGPT: An office friend or foe?

Despite experiencing a tailwind in recent months—mostly due to the launch of Open AI’s ChatGPT—-questions about generative AI have been raised, such as whether this power tool is an asset or a hindrance in certain professions. 

However, when the respondents were asked how their jobs had evolved since using generative AI, their answers were optimistic: Nearly half (46%) said they had more time to focus on higher-value tasks. 

Not only are workers saving time, but these tools have also empowered them in other aspects of working life, for example:

33% said they could interpret data quicker and more efficiently

16% said they could perform a wider array of tasks with these tools

4% believed they were more confident facing new projects 

Despite AI advantages, controls are critical

While generative AI can augment workforces, companies recognise that it is not error-free. Consequently, 52% of respondents who openly use AI at work said they provide feedback and evaluations to control the quality of the results generated.

Furthermore, with the rise of generative AI sparking debates about legislation, 68% of employees favoured strict guidelines to ensure the correct usage of these tools. Encouragingly, 72% of the workers that openly use AI tools at work said that regulations and guidelines had already been implemented. 

Capterra UK Content Analyst, Eduardo Garcia Rodriguez, commented:  “Generative AI can present a wealth of opportunities for UK businesses that want to innovate and streamline their operations. However, as with any new technology, it is crucial to strike a balance between harnessing the potential of AI and implementing effective regulations to ensure ethical and responsible usage.”