Hundreds of British bosses fear AI could steal their jobs

Hundreds of top British executives believe artificial intelligence (AI) could steal their jobs, underscoring widespread fears about the technology’s potential to shake up traditional working models.

Nearly half of CEOs said they felt their jobs could be at risk due to AI technology, according to a major new survey from AND Digital.

Additionally, three-quarters of CEOs have launched artificial intelligence (AI) training bootcamps this year to help themselves and their staff stay up to date on the latest technology trends.

The findings were revealed in The CEO Digital Divide: Are You Accelerating or Slowing Down Business Value?? report, which surveyed 600 global CEOs and was conducted by independent research firm Censuswide.

A worrying 44 percent of CEOs surveyed said they feel their workforce is not ready to tackle AI adoption amid rapid global developments.

AI increases the dilemma CEOs face, with a third choosing to ban AI tools like ChatGPT within their organizations. However, 45 percent admitted to secretly using AI tools, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, to fulfill their job responsibilities, often passing off the work as their own.

Ironically, given the widespread covert use of AI technology, ethical considerations in AI adoption also emerged as a critical concern, with 68 percent considering this a top issue.

Stephen Paterson, Head of Technology and People at AND Digital noted: “CEOs cannot afford to be complacent when it comes to AI. They also cannot allow a culture of fear and distrust around new technologies to take hold. That’s why retraining people and teams across all departments to the highest standards must be an absolute top priority.

“It is important for business leaders to establish a well-designed framework around AI to maximize value and mitigate risk, giving people the guidance and tools to innovate safely. If they don’t, they will fall behind the competition and lag behind peers who have the AI ​​skills to lead the new wave of technological innovation.”

“Ultimately, CEOs must embrace the AND mentality, rather than the OR mentality, when it comes to embracing new technology. This includes adopting juxtaposed concepts of speed AND safety, small AND scale, as well as existing AND innovation to unlock the full potential of technology investments.”

The news comes as Britain and the US form a new partnership to ensure the safety of AI, amid concerns about its future versions. The collaboration aims to jointly develop advanced tests for AI models and share information about the possibilities and risks of AI.