New research by Freshworks highlights the increasing rate of adoption of AI in APAC businesses, leading to considerable business benefits.
Freshworks has released its new Global AI Workplace Report revealing how various workplace departments are interacting with AI since the new era of generative AI exploded into the market 18 months ago.
The global survey of 7,000+ full-time employees, collected from March 9- April 4, 2024, revealed how AI has become a tool commonly used among knowledge workers – more than half (55%) of workers surveyed said they are currently using software applications enhanced with AI at work.
Employees across the APAC region are learning how to use artificial intelligence (AI) at an incredible rate, with the majority of workers (70%) using AI at least once a week, and over half (59%) claiming that they’re saving at least three hours a week thanks to the technology.
Nearly three in four (73%) workers say that using software applications enhanced with AI at work allows them to get more work done, improve the quality of their work, or that their work is easier to complete.
Freshworks’s global ROI of AI study surveyed 1,000 office workers professionals, working in HR, IT, customer services and support, finance and accounting, sales, marketing, and legal in the APAC region.
According to the report, workers in the APAC region predominantly use AI for tasks such as writing or creating content (48%), researching and brainstorming (47%), and data analysis (45%). They are particularly satisfied, with 71% expressing comfort in using AI and an equal percentage trusting its output.
The need for privacy and training
However, privacy remains a big concern for organisations that have a duty of care to make sure their sensitive data remains safe. Over half (51%) of APAC workers admit to using free versions of online AI tools like ChatGPT and only one in three (33%) employees say they’re concerned about where AI is pulling its information from. A significant amount of potentially sensitive company information is likely being leaked and used to train future versions of other companies’ AI models.
Sandie Overtveld, Senior Vice President, Asia-Pacific and Japan and Middle East and Africa, Freshworks said: “For half a decade, Freshworks has been empowering customers to enhance their business efficiency through AI. We witness the remarkable growth of a technology that holds immense potential for delivering business value.
“However, as AI becomes increasingly prevalent, we emphasized the need for companies to provide adequate training and onboarding for employees, so they can immerse themselves in the software and harness the full benefits of AI safely and effectively.
“Providing access to user-friendly business software is the key to satisfying both customers and employees of the future.”
The need for training is clear, not least because of the privacy concerns of using free online AI tools.
APAC workers are untrusting of AI due to its security risks (53%) and its unpredictability (43%). More than one in three (37%) employees also admit that AI can be confusing to understand, while 73% believe that training and onboarding are necessary for employees to have meaningful benefits from using AI.
AI and workers in partnership
In good news, however, the research also uncovers that negative perceptions around AI replacing jobs are easing in Asia Pacific. Seventy-six per cent of workers agree that AI will never be able to completely replace human workers – especially young raw talent.
Many employees would also likely advocate for stronger company policies around AI, with more than two-thirds (69%) of workers saying they would trust workplace AI software more if human review of its outputs was mandatory.
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