UAE, China, India, lead in global adoption of robotics, according to Oracle

People have more trust in robots than their managers, according to the second annual artificial intelligence at Work study conducted by Oracle and Future Workplace, a research firm preparing leaders for disruptions in recruiting, development and employee engagement. The study of 8,370 employees, managers and HR leaders across 10 countries, found that artificial intelligence has changed the relationship between people and technology at work and is reshaping the role HR teams and managers need to play in attracting, retaining and developing talent.

Contrary to common fears around how artificial intelligence will impact jobs, employees, managers and HR leaders across the globe are reporting increased adoption of artificial intelligence at work and many are welcoming artificial intelligence with love and optimism.

• Artificial intelligence is becoming more prominent with 50% of workers currently using some form of artificial intelligence at work compared to only 32% last year.
• Workers in the UAE 62%, China 77% and India 78% have adopted artificial intelligence over 2X more than those in France 32% and Japan 29.
• The majority 65% of workers are optimistic, excited and grateful about having robot co-workers and nearly a quarter report having a loving and gratifying relationship with artificial intelligence at work.
• Workers in India 60% and China 56% are the most excited about artificial intelligence, followed by the UAE 44%, Singapore 41%, Brazil 32%, Australia, New Zealand 26%, Japan 25%, US 22%, UK 20% and France 8%.
• Men have a more positive view of artificial intelligence at work than women in the UAE with 61% of men optimistic vs 55% of women.
• The increasing adoption of artificial intelligence at work is having a significant impact on the way employees interact with their managers. As a result, the traditional role of HR teams and the manager is shifting.
• 64% of people would trust a robot more than their manager and half have turned to a robot instead of their manager for advice.
• Workers in India 89% and China 88% are more trusting of robots over their managers, followed by Singapore 83%, Brazil 78%, Japan 76%, UAE 74%, Australia, New Zealand 58%, US 57%, UK 54% and France 56%.
• In the UAE, more men 76% than women 64% have turned to artificial intelligence over their managers.
• 82% of people think robots can do things better than their managers.
• When asked what robots can do better than their managers, UAE survey respondents said robots are better at maintaining work schedules 42%, problem solving 34% and providing unbiased information 32%
• When asked what managers can do better than robots, UAE workers said the top three tasks were understanding their feelings 46%, coaching them 32% and evaluate team performance 25%.
• The impact of artificial intelligence at work is only just beginning and in order to take advantage of the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, organisations need to focus on simplifying and securing artificial intelligence at work or risk being left behind.
• 88% of UAE workers surveyed and 84% of HR leaders find it challenging to keep up with the pace of technological changes in the workplace.
• UAE workers want a simplified experience with artificial intelligence at work, asking for a better user interface 43%, best practice training 41% and an experience that is personalised to their behavior 35%.
• Privacy 41% and security 40% are the main concerns preventing UAE workers from using artificial intelligence at work.
• Digital natives Gen Z 41% and Millennials 45% are more concerned about privacy and security at work than Gen X 33%.

Research findings are based on a global survey conducted by Savanta between July 2 to August 9, 2019. In total, 8,370 completed the survey. The study was administered online and fielded in 10 different countries and in six languages. Permanent full-time employees between the ages 18 – 74 years old were eligible to participate. The survey targeted HR Leaders, Managers and Employees.

Respondents are recruited through a number of different mechanisms, via different sources to join the panels and participate in market research surveys. All panelists have passed a double opt-in process and complete on average 300 profiling data points prior to taking part in surveys. Respondents are invited to take part via email and are provided with a small monetary incentive for doing so.

The Oracle Cloud offers a complete suite of integrated applications for Sales, Service, Marketing, Human Resources, Finance, Supply Chain and Manufacturing, plus Highly Automated and Secure Generation 2 Infrastructure featuring the Oracle Autonomous Database.

Future Workplace is an executive development firm dedicated to rethinking and re-imagining the workplace. Future Workplace works with heads of talent management, human resources, corporate learning, and diversity to prepare for the changes impacting recruitment, employee development, and engagement.

“The latest advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence are rapidly reaching mainstream, resulting in a massive shift in the way people across the world interact with technology and their teams. As this study shows, the relationship between humans and machines is being redefined at work, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to successfully managing this change. Instead, organisations need to partner with their HR organisation to personalise the approach to implementing artificial intelligence at work in order to meet the changing expectations of their teams around the world,” said Emily He, SVP, Human Capital Management Cloud Business Group, Oracle

“Over the past two years we have found that workers have become more optimistic as they have adopted artificial intelligence in the workplace and HR is leading the way. The 2019 study shows that artificial intelligence is redefining not only the relationship between worker and manager, but also the role of a manager in an artificial intelligence-driven workplace. Based on the findings, managers will remain relevant in the future if they focus on being human and using their soft skills, while leaving the technical skills and routine tasks to robots,” said Dan Schawbel, Research Director at Future Workplace.

“Our 2019 results reveal that forward looking companies are already capitalising on the power of artificial intelligence,” said Jeanne Meister Founding Partner, Future Workplace. ”As workers and managers leverage the power of artificial intelligence in the workplace, they are moving from fear to enthusiasm as they see the possibility of being freed of many of their routine tasks and having more time to solve critical business problems for the enterprise.”