Dive Brief:
- Over the next three years, six of every 10 employers foresee having artificial intelligence or advanced automation tools in place, according to a survey of 300 employers from customer experience firm Genesys. Managers expect AI to aid with operations, staffing, budgeting or performance.
- About one-third of employers say AI tools will let their company speed up outcomes, improve efficiency and lower costs, according to the report. But benefits aren't universal: 31% say AI applications aren't practical for their type of business.
- A previous survey from Genesys found 67% of U.S. employees weren't afraid of robots coming to take their jobs in the next 10 years, but 25% of respondents did admit to feeling "unsettled" by new technology at work.
Dive Insight:
The future of AI implementation in the enterprise context is no longer contained to leading tech teams. Automation is expected to play a role in most processes — including the back office.
At the start of the year, industry trends pointed at artificial intelligence projects going from "experimental" to "necessary," just as the four-year growth rate of AI implementations hit the 270% mark.
As digital transformation becomes the norm across industries, decision makers see value in the promise of technologies like data analytics, robotic process automation and AI. The expectation is that it can enable teams to move faster and become more efficient.
Organizations looking to successfully adopt AI can work on helping employees understand its potential, said Merijn te Booij, chief marketing officer for Genesys, in a statement.
A key selling point is AI's potential to simplify the workplace experience, thus letting employees bank on skills AI just can't replace — like creativity, leadership and empathy. "When AI moves rote, mundane duties off employees' plates, they have more time to focus on what they're best at — work that's more interesting, diverse and requires more complex problem solving," te Booij said.
