Editorial
I recently had the opportunity to attend an artificial intelligence summit where I witnessed a particularly memorable moment. Onstage, a sleek, shiny robotic dog, reminiscent of a futuristic sci-fi movie, made its entrance. The audience buzzed with excitement, captivated by its mechanical grace.
After a few moments, a real dog — tail wagging and eyes brimming with curiosity — joined the scene. When the real dog caught a glimpse of the mechanical canine, it was visibly spooked. Its ears flattened, and it started cautiously backing away.
The moment encapsulated the kaleidoscope of emotions that AI evokes: from excitement and fascination to fear and apprehension. To unlock the full potential of AI, we need to decode these different responses and understand where they might be coming from.
The Implications of Gender Disparity in AI
Through Asana's Work Innovation Lab, we’ve been delving into the dynamics of AI adoption across different groups. When we look at reactions to AI across different dimensions, gender stands out. Women are significantly less optimistic about AI than men: 55% of men are enthusiastic about using AI in the workplace, compared to 44% of women.
This at least partially reflects broader, systemic issues within the AI landscape. Over the past decade, the proportion of female PhDs in AI and computer science has stagnated at 20%. Women represent just 22% of global AI professionals. Only about 14% of AI research paper authors and 18% of authors at leading AI conferences are women.
To address the optimism gap, it’s crucial that women’s experiences, expertise and perspectives are more deeply integrated into AI development, workplace roles and technology rollouts. Ensuring greater representation of women, especially at AI conferences, should be a non-negotiable.
Different Responses to AI Across Different Functions and Industries
In our research, we’ve also explored the varied responses to AI across different functions and industries. Within tech roles, there’s a palpable enthusiasm about A I — it’s often seen as a new frontier to explore and master.
However, sentiments shift when we look at marketing roles. According to our research, nearly half (44%) of marketers believe embracing AI means sacrificing human creativity and innovation. Despite the vast potential of AI to enhance marketing ROI and workflows, many marketers are wondering whether AI can truly understand and emulate the subtleties of human creativity. Can it capture the emotional pulse of a brand campaign, or the personal, human touch that’s the lifeblood of customer relationships?
The disparity in attitudes toward AI underscores the need for organizations to tailor AI rollouts to address different concerns and appetites for the technology. For marketing, this means positioning AI as a tool that liberates marketers from more routine tasks and gives them more time to focus on elements of their craft that are inherently human — like emotional storytelling, building empathy with customers and flexing their creative muscles.
Related Article: In the Age of AI at Work, Managers Still Matter
Different Generational Perspectives on AI
We’ve also found notable differences in AI perceptions across ages. Gen Z, a generation known for being tech savvy, actually reports less optimism and more concerns about AI than older generations.
Gen Z’s lower optimism partially stems from being newer to the workforce, as they typically have less developed skills and workplace experiences. But their concerns also reflect a generation that’s more aware and vocal about societal and ethical issues. Gen Z looks at AI and sees not just technology but the potential risks, biases and ethical challenges it might pose. This concern is so deep-seated that about one in five (17%) Gen Z workers report feeling embarrassed when they use AI at work, driven by a fear that their colleagues might discover that they use it.
Leaders need to ensure that, as they bring new AI technology into their organizations, they address the concerns of younger generations who are set to inherit its long-term impact.
Executive Optimism Toward AI
Additionally, our research found that executives are more enthusiastic about AI than other groups. Sixty-one percent of executives say that AI will help their companies achieve their objectives, while less than half (46%) of individual contributors say the same.
This optimism is partly driven by the nature of their executive roles. Their roles, which are rooted in complex decision-making and strategy and hinge on human judgment, empathy and leadership — qualities not easily replicated or replaced by AI. This sets them apart from more routine jobs, which are more vulnerable to AI automation.
But there's another factor that further fuels this optimism: Executives are typically more steeped in AI success stories. They're the ones attending industry conferences, networking with tech leaders and hearing firsthand from vendors about the latest AI breakthroughs. Our research found that executives are significantly more likely than non-executives to report hearing about AI through these channels.
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A Multifaceted Approach to AI Integration
AI isn't just a technological leap; it's a cultural one too. To harness AI's potential, organizations need to foster open discussions, tailor implementations to meet specific departmental needs, support the upskilling and reskilling of diverse employee groups and establish guiding principles for AI that align with employee values.
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