Leadership shortfalls amplify workplace concerns about AI
A lack of leadership is fuelling anxiety among employees about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI). That is according to new research by Mercer.
“Effective AI leadership today requires more than announcements about the latest tools,” says Ravin Jesuthasan, Global Leader of Transformation Services at Mercer. “It also demands visible engagement and a willingness to adapt.”
According to Jesuthasan, leaders can help alleviate employee concerns about the impact of AI by acknowledging uncertainty and openly discussing potential implications together with their teams.
However, Mercer’s report shows that worldwide only 25% of CEOs have already spoken with employees about the specific impact of AI on their organisation. Among HR leaders, that figure drops to just 13%.
Clear communication
Anxiety around AI is particularly exacerbated by a lack of clear, top-down communication. In turn, this can lead to lower productivity levels.
Line managers could play an important role in improving communication, the researchers note. The challenge, however, is that many managers themselves lack the necessary knowledge and resources, often as a result of an underdeveloped AI strategy at organisational level.
“Managers are crucial culture carriers who translate corporate goals to the workplace,” says Jesuthasan. “Investing in training and holding them accountable for talent development is essential.”
The wrong employees are most concerned
According to Mercer, concerns about AI are understandable. At the same time, the consulting firm observes that anxiety is strongest among professionals whose roles are actually less susceptible to automation. More than 61% of executives and around 58% of managers express concern about the impact of AI, compared with approximately 49% of other employees.
“Ironically, the employees who arguably should be most concerned are often the least worried,” the researchers note. “Recent analyses by Bloomberg show that AI could automate up to 67% of the tasks performed by sales professionals and 53% of those carried out by market research analysts. By comparison, only 21% of tasks performed by sales managers and just 9% of tasks carried out by market research managers are at risk.”
Familiarity reduces fear
Mercer’s analysis also reveals a correlation between the extent to which employees use AI tools and their level of concern about the technology’s impact on their jobs.
Employees who use AI tools intensively experience first-hand how certain tasks can be made more efficient or even fully automated, increasing their awareness of the technology’s potential impact.
An international comparison reinforces this picture. In the United Arab Emirates, around 85% of employees use AI, while 44% report concerns about its potential consequences. In Canada, these figures stand at 45% and 15% respectively.
For the study, Mercer surveyed more than 8,500 professionals from organisations across ten countries.
