According to a new study from Slack, the hype around artificial intelligence (AI) is waning.
“For the first time since generational AI came on the scene, sentiment and acceptance among desk workers is beginning to cool,” the report released Tuesday says. In August, Slack surveyed more than 17,000 desktop workers in the US, UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland as part of their Workforce Index, which Slack’s Workforce Lab publishes from time to time.
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While 99% of executives surveyed said they will invest in AI this year (with 97% saying they feel a “level of urgency” to use the technology), no workers now so jazzed. Here’s why.
Social and professional standards
The survey found that 48% of desk workers felt uncomfortable with their manager knowing they are using AI “for common workplace tasks” such as messaging, coding, brainstorming , and data analysis, citing fear of being seen as cheating and appearing lazy or less competent.
This builds on Slack’s earlier research from June, which revealed that employees are not always sure how to get permission to use AI in their workplace. That concern contributed much less to employees’ lack of acceptance of AI use—only 21% of respondents cited restrictive company AI policies as a disincentive.
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“Our research shows that even if AI helped you get a job done faster and more efficiently, not enough people would want their bosses to know they used it,” said Christina Janzer, CEO Slack’s Workforce Lab. “Leaders need to understand that not only in a business context of ‘Can I get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible,’ but in a social context of ‘What will people I wonder if they know I used this tool to help?”
In addition, the findings reveal an interesting behavioral problem in AI adoption that speaks more to its cultural perception than its positive (and real) impact. The report also predicts that Gen Z and Millenials are more comfortable using AI and are at risk of “declining social connection. ” Slack found that 81% of AI users ask for advice on AI tools instead of a peer or friend.
Mental decline and lack of preparation
From September 2023 to March 2024, global AI adoption had increased to about one-third of desktop workers, the report explains. But in the last three months, growth has slowed. “France saw just two percentage point growth, from 31% to 33% of desktop workers experimenting with AI, while the US saw just one percentage point growth, from 32% to 33% of desktop workers ,” the report says.
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Globally, the buzz reported fell from 47% to 41%, much of which Slack credits to the US. In recent months, employees who said they were enthusiastic about using AI fell from 45% to 36%. The change was even more dramatic in France, where enthusiasm fell by 12%, from 53% to 41%.
Contrary to the critical narrative about the value of AI at work, Slack found that employees want AI to help “refocus their time on meaningful tasks, but are skeptical that AI could lead to work busier and more workload.” Many AI companies and businesses are implementing agent systems, copilots, and other forms of AI-powered workflow automation touting the technology as saving time and reduces busy work, as do AI tools that focus on individual productivity.
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However, proper positioning could also be an issue. According to the report, “a lack of ongoing training is hindering the use of AI; 61% of desktop workers have spent less than five hours in total learning how to use AI. ” The majority (76%) of desk workers urgently want upskilling, reportedly due to industry trends and personal career goals.
Ironically, Slack found that skill building and learning are the top activities that “desk workers wish AI would give them more time to focus on.”
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In some ways, this trend was expected, considering Gartner’s tech hype cycle. But Slack says it has identified other reasons that buzz is waning, including “uncertainty around and discomfort with the norms of AI” and “a perception that AI is not yet catching up the hype,” as well as the lack of skill-enhancing training.
Based on the findings, Slack is encouraging leaders to make the most of employee motivation by investing in AI training, even in 10-minute increments of what Slack describes as “ AI microlearning.” The report also recommends defining clear policy guidelines for the use of AI so that employees do not feel lost.
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