One Fifth Of UK Workers Are Using AI, Without Telling The Boss
Generative AI developments are moving faster than most of us can keep up with. Recent data from the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) has found that public awareness of AI has increased over the past year, with 72% of adults now able to give at least a partial explanation of AI.
That compares with 56% in 2022’s Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation’s Public Attitudes to Data and AI Tracker Survey (PADAI). Day-to-day, 5% of UK adults say they’re using AI “a lot”, with 45% using it a little.
AI is making its way into the world of work too. The ONS’ Business and Insights Conditions Survey (BICS) found that 16% of businesses are currently using at least one AI application, most commonly for improving cybersecurity (35%), and creating efficiencies (35%).
The juggernaut-style adoption of generative AI technology has caused concern among legislators and senior tech leaders. In May, Geoffrey Hinton, aka the “godfather of AI” announced his resignation from Google in a statement to the New York Times, and said he regretted his work.
Hinton said some of the dangers of AI chatbots were “quite scary”, and that “Right now, they’re not more intelligent than us, as far as I can tell. But I think they soon may be.”
That concern has been echoed by tech leaders such as Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. In an open letter published in March, the pair, along with many other leaders, called for the artificial intelligence industry to take a six-month pause in order to develop safety protocols.
And now, The House of Lords’ Communications and Digital Committee has launched an inquiry into large language models (LLMs). “The latest large language models present enormous and unprecedented opportunities,” says the committee’s chair, Baroness Stowell of Beeston.
“But we need to be clear-eyed about the challenges. We have to investigate the risks in detail and work out how best to address them – without stifling innovation in the process. We also need to be clear about who wields power as these models develop and become embedded in daily business and personal lives.”
Caution
Despite this caution, new research from artificial intelligence and data analytics firm Aimpoint Digital has found that 20% of people in the UK have used an AI tool, with another 21% saying they have done so at work––and 50% of those admit to doing so without their bosses’ knowledge or approval.
Typical use cases include experimentation (45%), exploration of AI’s capabilities (33%) and learning new things (33%).
So while AI might not take your job yet, it can be used to make life a little easier. Digital assistants and generative AI tools can take time-sucking admin work off your plate, and can also streamline business workflows, and automate routine tasks.
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