UK SMBs optimistic about AI but employees fear it will replace them - report

New data finds that over half of UK SMBs are planning to invest in AI in the next year

The majority of UK SMBs are optimistic about AI and plan to invest in the technology in the next twelve months, according to a survey by market analysts Sapio Research.

But for employees, the survey revealed that nearly 50 per cent are worried about its impact on their jobs, and quality of work.

The study looked at behaviour and attitudes towards AI in the workplace from 500 SMBs from across the UK.

Of those surveyed, over half (53 per cent) of UK SMBs confirm they will be investing in AI in the next 12 months.

However, just under two-thirds of UK employees (64 per cent) think there is a lack of understanding of what AI can do in the workplace, and over three-quarters (76 per cent) would be interested in learning more about how AI can benefit them.

The impact of AI

Artificial intelligence has taken the tech world by storm, causing a paradigm shift in the way companies are viewing jobs.

Gartner recently published findings of a poll of more than 2,500 executives at vendors which found that 45 per cent reported that the publicity of ChatGPT has prompted them to increase AI investments.

Moreover, 70 per cent of bosses said their organisation is in investigation and exploration mode with generative AI, while 19 per cent are in pilot or production mode.

And with the rise of AI, companies have also started reducing headcount in favour of automation. For example, Dropbox laid off 500 employees, representing about 16 per cent of the company's global workforce in April 2023, as focus shifted towards driving artificial intelligence.

And while there is a clear appetite to leverage AI, the Aircall-Sapio research shows that businesses need to strike a balance between speed and caution in its deployment.

Just under half (49 per cent) of employees are concerned about moving too fast with AI, and 57 per cent reveal that they lack the proper technology infrastructure and skill sets to implement it effectively. Meanwhile, 57 per cent of employees are worried that AI's lack of human input could impact the quality of their work.

For SMBs who get the balance right, however, the impact is clear: employees feel confident in AI's ability to automate the day-to-day admin of teams and return workers' hours to meaningful, high-impact work.

Employees within UK SMBs expect AI to benefit their work from improved customer service, automation of processes, business insights, greater sales performance or revenue growth and coaching and upskilling teams.