Salesforce and YouGov released new research yesterday in line with the Salesforce Sydney World Tour, revealing Australian office workers’ sentiment towards Generative AI. Data was collected early this month, with a sample of 1,011 Australians aged 18 years and older who are full-time office workers.
The study found that 53% of office workers use Generative AI at work, but 44% do not feel represented fairly by AI. Adoption of Generative AI is also highest amongst men with 61% claiming to be using or experimenting with it already compared to just 40% of women.
Further, 43% of women office workers trust Gen AI, compared to 70% of men; a staggering 27% difference.
So, what are the reasons for these gender discrepancies?
The Salesforce research found that women expressed greater concern about Generative AI in decision-making processes. Those who said they did not trust Generative AI, noted that they would like greater visibility into how AI is used (49%) and greater transparency of underlying algorithms (48%), industry standards (47%) and human validation of outputs (46%).
Respondents also claimed that access to training and skills – which includes reskilling opportunities for
generative AI-related skills and upskilling or training staff – would help them feel more confident about the role of AI in the workplace.
Rowena Westphalen, Senior Vice President of Innovation, AI & Customer Advisory, at Salesforce APAC: “AI is the top priority for CEOs and leaders, and yet there is a clear trust gap that has emerged that highlights this is not translating down the ladder to the wider business. In particular, we need a targeted approach to prepare women, in particular, for AI integration.
“What’s clear from this research is that a lack of trust is proving to be a barrier when it comes to AI adoption. Greater transparency, training and skilling initiatives, industry standards, and human validation are all things that will be key to bridging this gap and ensuring inclusivity in the era of AI.”
To read more about this research, visit https://www.salesforce.com/au/news/stories/ai-work-trust/