Intelligent automation technology provider UiPath has weighed in on the impact of generative AI on process automation and in a new report that confirmed its potential for optimizing employees’ work but also highlighted users’ concerns. The UiPath 2024 Global Worker Survey found that automation tools that include GenAI technology demonstrably save workers time in their jobs. At the same time, though, the technology’s well-known proclivity to hallucinate results has led to a lack of trust by many decision-makers.
According to the report, which polled more than 9,000 workers around the world, 42 percent of those who have implemented GenAI tools have saved 10 or more hours per week. Nearly half of those workers say they have been able to focus on less mundane work due to the automation tools.
The trust issue, however, is also noteworthy. Overall, less than half of those polled trust the output they get from those tools. And, workers in some countries are significantly more skeptical than that. Only 26 percent of Japanese workers trust GenAI output and 47 percent of Germans feel the same. Two-thirds of Singaporeans, on the other hand, trust the results of GenAI tools, as do 63 percent of Koreans and 62 percent of workers polled in Hong Kong.
“GenAI tools are presenting an incredible opportunity for organizations to increase productivity and efficiencies, but employees must be provided with the proper training and upskilling opportunities to harness the full power of this technology,” said Brigette McInnis-Day, Chief People Officer at UiPath. “The technology must also be trusted and actionable—which is where business automation platforms serve as a critical foundation. The combination of these two technologies is a key differentiator for companies to maximize business value from GenAI and other AI models while empowering employees.”
Click here to download the free report from UiPath.