Frimley, UK, 12th November 2019 –New research has found that 60% of UK companies are already using artificial intelligence (AI), or plan to start using it in the next 12 months. Additionally, 37% of those businesses are using AI to drive business objectives, provide more efficiency and reduce cost. The findings come from research carried out by Genesys® (https://www.genesys.com/en-gb), the global leader in omnichannel customer experience and contact center solutions.
The study also revealed that 42% of UK companies expect that they will see positive impact on their businesses within 12 months of deploying AI-based solutions.
AI deployments set to grow, despite perceived barriers
There are, however, some barriers to applying AI according to UK. The study found that 40% of employers believe implementation will be too complex, which could be seen as surprising considering the number of businesses that have already implemented an AI solution or plan to do so in the near future.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of companies believe there is a hesitation within their company leadership when it comes to the adoption of new technologies like AI, bots and augmented reality, citing suspicion that the value of these technologies is over-hyped. Further, 20% are concerned about the cost of adopting the systems, but this much less of a concern for companies with more than 50 employees. For 16% of businesses, there is hesitation that deployment and training will take too long and cause too much disruption.
A blended future for the UK workforce
UK businesses considering the use of AI need to ensure that their deployments complement and assist their workforce. It is therefore not surprising that a separate survey by Genesys found 64% of employees believe companies should be required to maintain a minimum percentage of workers versus AI-powered robots and machinery. Employees can take solace in the fact that 61% of employers agree that a minimum percentage of employees should be maintained.
“It’s not surprising that the majority of UK employers recognize the value in AI,” says Mark Armstrong, vice president for UK and Ireland at Genesys. “The most successful AI deployments will combine the best data, technologies and people. Forward thinking businesses will understand this intelligent technology will have the most impact when it is used to automate repetitive tasks and complements the skills of workers to make their jobs easier and more fulfilling.” workforce as they now deal with the more complex problems that will provide them with more fulfilling days.”
Survey Methodology
Genesys commissioned third-party research consultancy Vitreous World to conduct online surveys in six countries of 5,310 adult employers or employees, coming from a total pool of 28 industry categories. The margin of error is plus/minus 3 percent.
Genesys announced initial employee survey findings in July and will continue to release additional insights in the coming months from both employee and employer surveys on a global and country-specific basis. For more highlights from the survey and details on the methodology and participants, please contact genesys@whiteoaks.co.uk to obtain the slide deck and full survey data.
About Genesys
Genesys® powers more than 25 billion of the world’s best customer experiences each year. Our success comes from connecting employee and customer conversations on any channel. Every day, 11,000 companies in more than 100 countries trust our #1 customer experience platform to drive great business outcomes and create lasting relationships. Combining the best of technology and human ingenuity, we build solutions that mirror natural communication and work the way you think. Our industry-leading solutions foster true omnichannel engagement because they perform equally well across channels, on-premise and in the cloud. Experience communication as it should be: fluid, instinctive and profoundly empowering. Visit genesys.com on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and the Genesys blog.
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Contacts:
Janne Virtanen
Senior Public Relations Manager
Genesys
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