Employee skills degrade due to over-reliance on AI, survey reveals workplace concerns
A global survey by IT company GoTo reveals growing workplace dependence on AI, but highlights issues of skill degradation, trust crises, and accountability. 39% of employees (46% for Gen Z) say AI reliance has weakened their skills, 60% feel pressure to use AI, and 83% worry about being blamed for AI mistakes. The report recommends that companies provide effective training and policies to balance productivity with employee capability development.
Key Findings
- A recent survey by IT company GoTo shows that reliance on artificial intelligence in the workplace is increasingly common: half of employees admit to over-relying on AI, and slightly less than a third say they cannot work properly without it.
- Over-reliance on AI has already caused work problems: 39% of all employees and 46% of Gen Z respondents say that reliance on AI has weakened their skills, making them "dumber." However, 60% of employees say they feel pressured to use AI to boost productivity.
- The report's authors note that when companies require AI skills from employees without providing necessary training or effective governance policies, misuse and "workslop" become more common. Nearly a quarter of IT leaders report that AI-related errors have "already impacted customers, clients, or company profits."
Deeper Analysis
The study, based on a survey of 2,500 employees and IT leaders worldwide, aims to reveal the real state of AI use in the workplace and the potential problems it introduces.
The survey shows that nearly every IT leader (98%) says their company is using AI, and another 82% of employees say they use AI at work. Additionally, more than nine in ten respondents approve of their organization's investment in AI.
Despite this, AI technology is undermining employee confidence. About three in ten employees believe AI can do their job better than they can, and 28% say they now trust AI more than themselves. Even so, 41% admit that overusing AI will have a negative impact on their long-term careers.
Notably, 83% of respondents worry they might be held accountable for AI's mistakes, while 17% of all employees (30% among Gen Z) say they have blamed AI for their own errors.
Employees' concerns are not unfounded. Slightly less than half of employees (43%) say they would use AI-generated content even if its quality is poor; 43% of IT leaders admit their companies are inadequate at assessing the return on investment of the AI tools they deploy.
GoTo CEO Rich Veldran said in a statement that when companies provide employees with effective AI training resources, it helps boost productivity and overall corporate well-being. "The goal isn't just smarter technology," Veldran said, "but a smarter, more capable workforce."
As employee sentiment toward AI turns negative, providing clearer usage guidelines may become more critical. A recent study by the national nonprofit Jobs for the Future found that among more than 3,000 respondents, 44% view AI as a net negative factor in job seeking, wealth creation, and improving quality of life.