Technology: 51% of Indians believe AI will help improve productivity at work
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Nearly a year after Artificial Intelligence (AI) ‘exploded’ worldwide as a disruptive technology innovation, at least 51 percent of Indians believe that it would help improve productivity at work, according to a new survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the multinational professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand.
India’s average is higher than the global average, where 31 percent believe AI will benefit them at work. The PwC survey, titled “India Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2023,” was released on Monday.
The survey also highlighted that 62 percent of Indians believe that the skills required for their jobs will change significantly over the next five years as compared to 36 percent globally. Moreover, 69 percent of these Indians know how the requirements will change.
“Most Indian leaders are aware of the criticality to transform their workforce for the future success of their businesses. Similarly, as their work and workplace are undergoing significant changes, employees in India are highly aware of the urgency to upskill, it is increasingly becoming an important factor in their career decisions,” said Kartik Rishi, partner at PwC India.
“However, organizations continue to adopt a much lesser focus on skills, especially those for the future, in their talent strategies and programs. Adopting a forward-looking, skills-first approach, which is integrated into their business processes will be a key factor for leaders in sustaining businesses over the next decade.
But, 24 percent of Indians said that AI would negatively impact their work. Globally, the percentage of people who believe this is 14 percent.
Also, 21 percent of Indian respondents believed AI would gobble up their jobs as compared to 13 percent of the global respondents.
The survey also highlighted that the Indian workforce is restless. Forty-two percent of employees indicated that they might change jobs in 2024 because of expectations of better pay packages and promotions, as compared to 26 percent globally.
Besides, 70 percent of Indian participants, as against 35 percent of their global counterparts, are willing to ask for a promotion. While a significant amount of organizational efforts are focused on the younger generation, the survey found that managers and senior executives would also need attention.
“The workforce is not settling with a competitive compensation only – which continues to be a hygiene – but also a deeper job satisfaction, and faster growth opportunities to fulfill their aspirations,” said Anumeha Singh, partner at PwC India.
“To thrive, organizations and leaders will need to make some tough choices while blending adaptability with innovative workforce structures and career pathways, for an ever-evolving landscape,” the PwC survey added.
