The use of artificial intelligence technologies within workplaces is encouraging antisocial behaviour and has the potential to “exacerbate the epidemic of loneliness”, according to a new report.
Job site Indeed conducted a survey of 1,001 Australian workers on their use of AI in their jobs and found that many are using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT instead of interacting with their colleagues.
The survey found high usage of AI in the workplace, with 56 per cent of respondents currently using AI tools to help them do their job.
Extrapolated to the entire working population, that’s about 4 million Australians using AI to help with their day-to-day work.
But perhaps more troublingly, this use of AI sometimes comes at the cost of not communicating with a human co-worker, the research found.
The survey found that of those using AI in their job, 40 per cent did so in order to not interact with their colleagues, and nearly a third of the respondents trusted AI over their own co-workers.
Indeed’s workplace psychologist Amanda Gordon said the results are concerning.
“Our findings highlight that people’s increased connection to tech is disconnecting them from others, and this will undoubtedly exacerbate the epidemic of loneliness,” Gordon said.
“AI is bringing out antisocial behaviour in Australian workers and this is perhaps more of an immediate concern than whether it will cost jobs.
“It’s worrying that the majority of white-collar workers would rather interact with a machine than a work mate.
“AI tools can be incredibly helpful at work however they shouldn’t be used to the detriment of human connection.”
AI over colleagues
The survey also found that a fifth of respondents admitted to liking generative AI tools more than their colleagues, and more than 60 per cent said they would ask AI for assistance with a task at work before they would ask another person.
The study also found that AI tools appear to be replacing humans as individuals’ mentors and confidants at work.
According to the survey, just under 60 per cent of the white-collar AI users asked these tools for help with difficult work conversations, nearly 55 per cent vented to AI about their work problems, and just under half chose to have a casual chat with an AI system over a human being in the office.
“Employees who have good relationships with their colleagues report higher levels of happiness at work,” Gordon said.
“It therefore stands to reason that if people actively avoid their colleagues, there will be repercussions on wellbeing in the workplace.”
The risks and opportunities of AI in the workplace
Numerous studies have found that the use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT in the workplace can lead to improved efficiency, creativity and boost a company’s appeal to younger workers.
A separate study found that generative AI has the potential to increase Australian labour productivity by up to 1.1 percentage points per year through to 2030, and may serve to automate up to half of all workplace activities within a decade.
The report found that more than 60 per cent of existing workforce tasks in Australia have the potential to be automated thanks to today’s generative AI technology, which could see about 1.3 million Australians needing to transition to new jobs.
But there are concerns over workers feeding sensitive company data into these machines, with a survey finding that 53 per cent of users have included internal process details when entering a query in ChatGPT and other generative AI technologies.
A third of respondents to the survey said they had done the same with employee data, non-public company material, and customer information.
