Why getting employees to embrace AI takes more than training

Artificial intelligence literacy is rapidly becoming an expected workplace skill, with companies increasingly requiring employees to attend AI training, meet usage targets or spend a certain amount of time on AI platforms, The Washington Post reports.

Major technology companies such as Meta and Google are tracking employees’ AI use, while Accenture requires managers to demonstrate their use of new technology to qualify for promotions. However, Stanford University researchers warn that mandating AI adoption does not necessarily translate into meaningful business value. 

Requiring employees to meet token quotas or use AI primarily to boost productivity can encourage superficial adoption and lead to disengagement and feelings of being devalued, particularly as concerns grow about AI-related job cuts. 

Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence reported that AI adoption is accelerating faster than internet adoption, with many organizations reporting benefits such as time and cost savings and increased innovation. However, one-third of surveyed organizations expected AI-related workforce reductions in the coming year. 

Researchers recommend that employers position AI as an opportunity for employees to develop new skills and advance their careers rather than simply as a productivity tool. They also say that companies should encourage experimentation and allow employees to share successful applications instead of imposing usage quotas. 

That approach may be particularly important given that more than half of employees surveyed by Gallup and Jobs for the Future said they have less input into workplace technology decisions than they would like. 

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