Study by Zoho and CRM Essentials Reveals That Familiarity With AI Improves Sentiment

The use of generative AI has mushroomed across companies, industries, business models, and org. charts, demonstrating its capability to improve productivity and reduce needless tasks. Yet, according to a new AI and privacy study, employees' opinions on AI in the workplace fluctuate between caution and optimism, particularly if the AI is being trained using their data.

The survey, conducted by Zoho and CRM Essentials, asked 1,001 employees about generative AI in the workplace: why and how often it's used, what benefits they've noticed, and what fears they maintain. The questions measured how often generative AI is used, how employees feel about the technology, and how internal employee and customer data is used.

The findings illuminate mixed feelings. Roughly one quarter of respondents, 24%, said they use generative AI daily, while 37% said they never use it—though only 18% claimed it was due to privacy concerns, versus 55% who said they simply don't need it for their jobs. Similarly, 32% claimed to be much more concerned about AI's impact on data privacy, and 32% claimed to be somewhat more concerned. Yet, when choosing technology, 25% of respondents said that the most important factor they consider is convenience, whereas 15% said it was data privacy.

Still, the lion's share of respondents believed AI is ultimately a boon to their work. Of users, 40% said generative AI increased their productivity significantly, and 17% said it has become an indispensable tool—and these folks were more likely to claim they were OK sharing data with AI for training purposes. Plus, 55% said AI's main purpose is to help employees become more effective, against 20% who think it's coming for their jobs.