A recent YouGov survey highlights the growing optimism among employers and employees regarding technological advancements in the workplace.
- 63% of employers are hopeful about AI’s positive impact, compared to 41% of employees.
- Concerns about AI’s impact on safety are equally shared, with 26% believing it makes workplaces less safe.
- Most employees, 68%, do not fear job replacement by AI in the next decade.
- Optimism for AR and VR is lower, with employers more optimistic than employees.
A recent survey conducted by the British Safety Council, implemented by YouGov, has unveiled notable optimism among both employers and employees towards the incorporation of new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR), in the workplace. While decision-makers showcase more optimism compared to staff, the survey indicates a general positive outlook towards these technologies’ impact on professional environments.
Employers have expressed a significant confidence in AI’s forecasting capabilities, with 63% of respondents anticipating a beneficial impact on their workplace dynamics. In contrast, only 41% of employees share this sentiment. Despite concerns, a faction of the workforce remains skeptical about AI-enhancing safety, with 26% perceiving potential risks. This percentage is mirrored among managers wary of both AI’s advantageous and disadvantageous impacts. Meanwhile, only 13% of employees see AI unequivocally improving workplace safety.
Looking into the future, a substantial 68% of employees do not expect their roles to be supplanted by AI within the next ten years. Employers echo this sentiment, with only 20% predicting that less than 10% of their workforce will be replaced by 2034. Nevertheless, a small portion (6%) of employers envisage a more drastic transformation, contemplating the replacement of over half of their staff due to AI by the same year.
The enthusiasm dwindles slightly when discussing AR and VR technologies. Employers demonstrate a moderate optimism at 48% and 51%, respectively, regarding the impact on workplace innovation and productivity, whereas employee optimism registers at 33% for AR and 31% for VR. The survey also underscores varied perceptions about these technologies’ implications on workplace safety, with approximately half of the participants asserting no substantial change.
Peter McGettrick, Chairman of the British Safety Council, stated: “We commissioned this survey with YouGov to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act and consider what lies ahead for health, safety and wellbeing in the coming half century.” He emphasizes the necessity for governmental incentives to encourage corporate investments in transformative technologies to enhance health, safety, and employee wellbeing. McGettrick further advocates for increased support in training initiatives to mitigate risks associated with technological evolution.
The study reflects optimism and caution as workplaces adapt to technological advancements, highlighting the need for balanced implementation.
