AI in the workplace continues to be a focal point for professionals across various industries. But what will it look like in the future? That’s the question we sought to answer with Workable’s AI in Hiring & Work survey which launched in January 2024.
In the dataset, nearly four out of five respondents (78.9%) anticipate a substantial or slight increase in the importance and usage of AI.
Only a small fraction (4%) predict a decrease, underscoring a strong consensus toward AI’s expanding role.
It’s clear that AI’s influence is not just present but growing, not just tangibly but in the eyes of our respondents.
The industry lens
Differences stand out when we look at the dataset across industries. Notably, 52.7% in Construction predict a substantial increase in AI usage compared to the overall 38.2%. This suggests a significant shift toward more technologically integrated operations.
IT / Technology / SaaS (83.3% vs. 78.9% overall) and Manufacturing (83.2%) see AI increasing over the next few years as well. This aligns with their core operations which naturally integrate newer technologies faster.
At the other end, Healthcare stands out with 6.9% anticipating a slight decrease, possibly reflecting concerns around AI’s implications in sensitive areas such as patient care.
Frequently asked questions
- What do the latest surveys say about AI’s future role in the workplace?
- Nearly 79% of professionals surveyed anticipate an increase in AI’s importance and usage in their industries, reflecting a robust expectation of AI becoming more integral to work processes, especially in construction, IT, and manufacturing sectors.
- Are there any industries less optimistic about AI integration?
- Yes, healthcare shows some reservations with 6.9% of professionals expecting a slight decrease in AI usage, likely due to concerns about AI’s implications in sensitive areas like patient care.
- How significant is the predicted increase in AI usage in construction?
- The construction industry stands out with 52.7% of respondents predicting a substantial increase in AI usage, suggesting a significant shift towards technologically integrated operations, much higher than the overall substantial increase prediction of 38.2%.
- Which industries are most optimistic about AI’s future role?
- IT/Technology/SaaS and Manufacturing sectors are most optimistic, with over 83% in each expecting AI to grow more important, aligning with these industries’ rapid integration of new technologies.
- How do opinions on AI’s future role vary across industries?
- Opinions vary significantly: construction and IT predict major increases in AI usage, while sectors like education and retail show more conservative growth expectations, with a notable percentage anticipating the status quo to remain unchanged.
