The hype around generative AI may start to die down, according to a new Slack report.

The survey of more than 17,000 global office workers, released on November 12, found a disconnect between AI aspirations and adoption rates. The report focused on the barriers to adopting AI in the workplace and how leaders can clarify questions around it. The slight decline in global interest is notable after nearly a year of increased enthusiasm around AI.

“AI adoption isn’t just about businesses, it’s also about employees,” Christina Janzer, head of Slack’s Workforce Lab, said in a statement. press release. “With sentiment around AI declining, companies need to help their employees accelerate their AI journey and overcome the cultural and organizational obstacles that stand in their way.”

AI may not live up to the hype

Slack saw a steady increase in AI adoption between September 2023 and March 2024. At its peak in March 2024, about a third (32%) of office workers surveyed had used AI to do their jobs. This percentage has started to show a decline or plateau over the past three months.

Specifically:

• The United States saw just one percentage point of growth in AI use, from 32% to 33% of office workers.
• “Enthusiasm” about AI helping with work tasks among workers worldwide has dropped 6%.
• Enthusiasm for AI has fallen 9% over the past three months in the United States.
• Enthusiasm for AI has fallen by 12% over the last three months in France.

Nearly all (99%) of executives surveyed say they will invest in AI this year.

Nearly half of employees would be uncomfortable disclosing AI use to managers

While some companies are creating top-down initiatives to encourage the use of AI, many employees are reluctant to share their use of AI: 48% of survey participants said they would not comfortable telling their managers that they are using AI. They feared that using AI would be seen as cheating, a resource reserved for the less competent, or laziness.

Slack specifically asked participants if they would be uncomfortable sharing their use of AI with their manager, not if they would be uncomfortable using AI at all . Respondents who are comfortable saying they use AI at work are more likely to use it. Yet the underlying fears are reflected in both technology and company culture.

SEE: AI May Pose Security Risks for Organizations and security teams.

In general, the use of high-profile technologies tends to stabilize over time. Slack noted that potential accusations of “laziness” and “cheating”, the perception that AI is “not yet living up to the hype” and the lack of training in using AI are the main factors that affect employees’ views on technology.

Employees fear AI won’t reduce administrative tasks

Proponents of AI have long argued that the technology helps businesses by automating repetitive tasks, freeing up time for meaningful activities that support an organization’s bottom line. However, Slack’s report indicates that organizations have not seen a reduction in administrative tasks over the past few months. Instead, many employees suspect that AI could lead to more grunt work and increased workload.

“Employees fear that the time they save with AI will actually increase their workload, with leaders expecting them to do more work, at a faster pace,” said Janzer. “This presents an opportunity for leaders to redefine what they mean by “productivity,” inspiring employees to improve the quality of their work, not just the quantity.

When asked what they would like to do with the time saved through AI, participants responded that they would like to have time to engage in non-work activities and develop their skills. But when asked what they would likely do with the extra time, people cited administrative tasks and additional work on existing projects.

How team leaders who want to promote AI can change their minds

Soft — which has its own AI assistant — recommends to managers who wish to promote AI:

• Organize AI-related team building exercises.
• Make AI use, and AI gains, visible to the entire organization through convenient communication channels.
• Model the use of AI in the work of managers, where applicable.
• Focus on skills development and training in the use of generative AI.
• Redefine what productivity means, tying goals to innovative or creative work projects to incentivize handing over the grunt work to AI.
• Remember, AI cannot replace real human connection. Address your team’s relationships and how people ask each other for help when it comes to “intentionality.”

Slack also recommended that organizations train their employees on the use of AI through short, impactful sessions, also known as “microlearning.”

“AI training programs don’t have to be super heavy,” said Chrissie Arnold, director of future of work programs at Workforce Lab. “At Slack, we’ve seen some pretty amazing results with just 10 minutes a day of AI microlearning. »