Power up. From supercharging employee productivity and streamlining processes to inspiring innovation, Microsoft’s AI is designed to help you build the next big thing. No matter where you're starting, push what's possible and build your way with Azure's industry-leading AI. Check it out.
Workers are blazing ahead with AI tools, whether or not their employers are on board—and that could cause headaches for companies.
That’s one takeaway from a new AI and trust report from KPMG, for which the accounting firm and consultancy surveyed 48,000 people around the world with help from University of Melbourne researchers.
Half of US respondents said they tapped AI at work, despite not knowing whether it’s allowed, and 44% said they’re “knowingly using it improperly.” That includes uploading sensitive information or intellectual property to public AI platforms, which 46% of those in the US admitted to doing.
The survey also pointed to the potential for slipping quality due to AI use. Around three in five (64%) of Americans surveyed “admit to putting less effort into their work, knowing they can rely on AI;” 58% said they don’t thoroughly vet outputs; and 57% have made mistakes at work as a result.
It’s not the first survey to find a disconnect between workers using AI and workplaces that haven’t formalized policies for them to do so. Microsoft and LinkedIn found that more than three-quarters of employees were bringing their own AI to work last year, though the more recent edition of that same survey found the narrative had shifted somewhat.
Governance gap: KPMG said the survey results point to lack of employer governance that would curb bad habits when it comes to AI. A little over half of respondents said their organizations had responsible AI policies, while a quarter said theirs did not.
“AI is advancing rapidly, yet governance in many organizations has not kept pace; organizations must incorporate comprehensive safeguards into AI systems and proactively prepare for foreseeable challenges and mitigate operational, financial, and reputational risks,” Samantha Gloede, trusted enterprise leader at KPMG, said in the report.
Regulation needed: Even beyond their own employers, the report found a strong appetite among American workers for AI regulation. Almost three-quarters (72%) said more regulation is needed, and a little more than four in five said they’d be more willing to trust AI systems if more regulations and policies were in place.
“US consumers see the value in guardrails and accountability,” Bryan McGowan, trusted AI leader at KPMG, said in the report. “The majority of our survey participants want regulation to combat AI-generated misinformation, and nearly all agreed that news and social media companies must ensure people can detect AI-generated content.”