{"id":159256,"date":"2019-07-18T03:20:36","date_gmt":"2019-07-18T10:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/?post_type=announcements&p=159256"},"modified":"2019-07-18T03:25:09","modified_gmt":"2019-07-18T10:25:09","slug":"159256","status":"publish","type":"announcements","link":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-gb\/company\/newsroom\/announcements\/159256","title":{"rendered":"UK employees embrace AI in the workplace, but want more training"},"content":{"rendered":"

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UK employees embrace AI in the workplace, but want more training<\/strong><\/h1>\n

New research from Genesys finds employees across the UK are positive about the uptake of AI-based technologies, with <\/em>59% saying they don\u2019t feel it threatens their jobs<\/em><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]FRIMLEY, UK <\/strong>\u2014 17 July 2019 <\/strong>\u2014 Employees in UK businesses are optimistic about the future impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on their jobs according to a nationwide study conducted by Genesys (https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-gb<\/a>), the global leader in omnichannel customer experience<\/a> and contact centre solutions<\/a>. The survey found nearly two-thirds of employees value new technological tools such as AI in the workplace. In fact, 64% of UK employees say it makes them more effective and allows them to focus on other tasks.<\/p>\n

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The findings reveal an overwhelmingly positive outlook from employees, despite the negative headlines anticipating such technologies would replace humans in the workplace. More than two-thirds of employees say they don\u2019t feel threatened by technology at work. They don\u2019t expect the technology to become a threat anytime soon either, given that 59% don\u2019t believe AI or bots will take their jobs within the next ten years. In fact, employees see AI as pivotal to business success with more than a fifth saying they believe AI or bots will be crucial to their companies ability to stay competitive in the future.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s encouraging that UK\u2019s workers recognise the potential new technologies such as AI have to make their jobs more fulfilling and the value it can bring to businesses,\u201d said Steve Leeson, Vice President for UK and Ireland for Genesys.<\/p>\n

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Even while the survey shows that people are more excited about AI technology than fearful, in the long-term they want assurances from their employers in the form of training. The research showed an overwhelming majority (86%) of employees expect their employers to provide training that helps them prepare for an AI-enabled workplace.<\/p>\n

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Leeson commented, \u201cSome jobs will evolve as human work combines with the capabilities of AI. It\u2019s increasingly important for companies to assess the need for training programs to help employees further skills like creativity, leadership and empathy, which AI just can\u2019t replace. Businesses that adopt a blended approach to artificial intelligence, where AI-technologies work in unison with employees, will get the best out of their technology investment and their skilled workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few additional UK findings related to overall attitudes toward AI include:<\/strong><\/p>\n