Why Transparency is Key For AI Acceptance in the Workplace

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a driving force in today's organizations, reshaping industries and revolutionizing how work is done. However, as AI continues to integrate into various facets of business operations, organizations must prioritize transparency in order to build trust among their employees. Transparency is essential not only to mitigate fears of job displacement but also to foster a culture of understanding and responsible AI deployment.

Unfortunately, new research from UKG and my company, Workplace Intelligence, finds that many workers feel completely in the dark about how their organization is using AI-powered technologies. Over half (54%) say they have ‘no idea’ how their company is using AI. And while 78% of C-suite leaders say their organization is using AI today, only 42% of employees think they’re using AI-powered devices in their day-to-day work.

It’s certainly not the case that workers are opposed to using AI. In fact, many say AI would increase their engagement/job satisfaction (63%), willingness to go above and beyond (55%), and overall happiness (54%). Among those already using AI at work, around 3 out of 4 say it makes them more efficient and productive, allows them to spend more time on meaningful tasks, and increases the quality or accuracy of their work.

Still, a lack of organizational transparency could pose a serious threat to getting complete employee buy-in. In my company’s study with UKG , we found that most workers would be more accepting and excited about AI if their company was more transparent about how it’s using AI (75%) and the direct ways AI could improve employees’ workflow (78%).

Greater transparency around AI would also pave the way for increased trust among employees and companies, which could yield significant business returns. According to Great Place to Work , organizations with a high-trust work culture benefit from:

• Stock market returns two to three times greater than the market average
• Turnover rates approximately 50% lower than industry competitors
• Greater customer, client, and patient satisfaction

Globally, there are many AI initiatives underway that are focused on increasing the public’s awareness of how AI is being used. More than 20 countries are working on a national strategy to manage the use and development of AI. On an international level, the United Nations has created an AI and Global Governance Platform to explore the global policy challenges raised by AI, as part of the Secretary-General’s Strategy on New Technologies .

However, most of these initiatives are still in progress. That’s why employers should be doing their part to be more forthcoming with their employees — especially since the executives we surveyed estimate that by 2028, 70% of their workforce will use AI to automate or augment some of their job tasks.

In today’s article, I’ll describe 3 ways employers can be more open about AI with their workforce. Subscribe to my FREE Workplace Intelligence Insider newsletter and you’ll immediately receive the full article

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