Employees across India and the Middle East have the greatest levels of AI usage and expertise, according to a new report by Freshworks – with the majority of workers (88%) using AI-powered software solutions with ease and estimate they could save two hours more than any other region in a work week, while employees from other countries save only around three hours and forty-seven minutes per week.
These are the Indian and Middle East findings from Freshworks’s Global AI Workplace Report, which surveyed 7,000 professionals globally in HR, IT, customer services and support, finance and accounting, sales, marketing, and legal.
The need for privacy and training
Privacy remains a big concern for organisations that have a duty of care to make sure their sensitive data remains safe.
More than half (54%) of Indians admit to using free versions of online AI tools like ChatGPT but globally, employees (30%) say they’re concerned about where AI is pulling its information from. That means a significant amount of potentially sensitive company information is likely to be leaked and used to train future versions of other companies’ AI models.
Almost three-quarters (70%) of employees in India and the Middle East - most new hires in their departments are expected to have some expertise with Artificial Intelligence. This is in sharp contrast to the US (33%) and UK (32%), where there is far less of a need for AI specialists.
With AI playing a key role in major conversations across the globe, it is important to note that almost all industry leaders are keen to adopt it across various sectors in their organisations. 46% of employees, globally, state those who haven’t joined the AI bandwagon are already behind and most likely to fail in the future.
Commenting on the study, Sandie Overtveld, Freshworks' Senior Vice President & General Manager APJ & MEA, "This study presents a fascinating overview of AI adoption globally. We're particularly impressed by the high levels of usage and expertise in India and the Middle East." He continued, “However, privacy issues are a concern to many. In order to foster trust and fully realize the advantages of this technology, businesses must place a high priority on data protection and ethical AI practices."
This comes hand in hand with the extensive investment in AI. In India and the Middle East, more than half (57%) of managers and higher-level employees say their departments would allocate more money for AI-powered software products in 2023. Senior employees agree that AI-enabled software can showcase a significant impact on businesses within 2 years. Over half (56%) of managers, especially in the IT and Marketing departments, say ROI for AI is better in comparison to other software within their organization.
AI and workers in partnership
One area in which India excels is the trust element. Significantly, 86 per cent of employees said they have faith in AI tools to improve their workflow. Adoption rates also follow this trend. India surpasses the worldwide norm with 75 per cent adoption among leaders. However, all employees would also likely advocate for stronger company policies around AI, with 68 per cent saying they would trust AI more if a human review of its outputs were mandatory.
In conclusion, India is establishing itself as a global leader in AI acceptance and adoption. Its high comfort levels, trust, and investment in AI position the country to reap significant benefits from this rapidly evolving technology.
