A Microsoft report titled ‘Work Trend Index 2023’ has highlighted the concerns and perceptions of Indian workers regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace.
According to the report, 74 percent of Indian workers expressed concerns about AI replacing their jobs.
However, the report also revealed that 83 percent of respondents are willing to delegate tasks to AI in order to reduce their workloads.
74% of Indians Concerned About AI Taking Over Jobs
The report found that Indian workers feel comfortable using AI not only for administrative tasks (86 percent) but also for analytical work (88 percent) and creative aspects of their roles (87 percent). This indicates a level of acceptance and recognition of AI’s potential to enhance productivity in various job functions.
The survey for the Work Trend Index involved 31,000 people across industries in 31 countries, including 14 Asia Pacific markets.
The data collected from sources such as emails, meetings, chats across Microsoft 365, and labor trends on LinkedIn revealed that the pace of work has outpaced humans’ ability to keep up, which is impacting innovation.
In India, creative workers who are highly familiar with AI expressed complete comfort in using AI for creative aspects of their jobs. Managers in the country are also more likely to believe that AI can enhance workplace productivity rather than lead to job cuts.
Report Highlights Challenges Faced by Indian Workers
The report highlighted the challenges faced by Indian workers, with 76 percent acknowledging insufficient time and energy to complete their tasks. This lack of time and energy is associated with a struggle to be innovative.
The data from Microsoft 365 revealed that people spend 57 percent of their time on communication and only 43 percent on creation. Additionally, 78 percent of Indian workers admitted to lacking uninterrupted focus during their workday.
The report also emphasized the concerns of Indian leaders, with over 84 percent expressing worries about the lack of innovation. Inefficient meetings were identified as a significant hindrance to productivity, with 46 percent of workers stating that their absence in half or more of their meetings would go unnoticed by colleagues.
Furthermore, 90 percent of Indian leaders believed that employees need to acquire new skills to adapt to the growth of AI, while 78 percent of workers felt they currently lack the necessary capabilities to fulfill their work requirements.
