Do Employees Understand AI Impact on Productivity Than Their Bosses Do?

Is it possible that employees of large firms have a better understanding of the impact of artificial intelligence on competitive advantage than their bosses do? Perhaps. 

It certainly seems to be the case that employees and C-level executives have different expectations about widespread AI adoption. 

Citrix sponsored a research effort conducted by Man Bites Dog and research company Coleman Parkes, polling 500 C-suite leaders and key decision makers within both large, established corporations and mid-market businesses with at least 250 employees. The study also involved surveying 1,000 employees. 

Fully 91 percent of professionals believe that by 2035, their organization will spend more on technology and AI than on human workers. Also, 90 percent of business leaders believe that in 2035, AI technology investment will be the biggest driver of growth for their organization.

By 2035, 83 percent of professionals believe that technology will have taken over low-value and repetitive tasks, enabling humans to focus on more meaningful work.

Some 89 percent of business leaders believe AI-powered digital workspaces will increase worker performance and productivity in their organization by 2035. Just 55 percent of employees share this view.

Fully 73 percent of business leaders believe that technology and AI will make workers at least twice as productive by 2035, while only 39 percent of employees share that belief.  

Only about 16 percent of business leaders say they are unclear about how their firms gain competitive advantages from AI, even when every major competitor uses AI. But 65 percent of employees say they are unclear on how their organization will gain a competitive advantage from using AI when it is being used by every business.

At least in part, employees seem to have a realistic understanding that AI will enable replacing humans with machines. Business leaders, though not immune from that process, tend to believe they will not be affected to the same extent. 

Perhaps shockingly, 57 percent of professionals believe that by 2035 there will be no traditional leadership team at all, as AI will make most business decisions.