How to boost AI confidence with your team

Do you know how your team feels about using AI at work?

Are they nervous?

Excited?

Maybe both of the above?

New studies show that AI is now widely used in workplaces, yet people have mixed thoughts about its presence.

Four in five workers say they use some kind of AI tool in their day-to-day work. With AI assistants being used by more than half to save time. Yet not everyone is comfortable with it.

By leaning on AI, some employees feel they’ll be seen as lazy or untrustworthy. While others worry that their colleagues will judge or second-guess them.

It makes for a strange situation, where people trust AI to assist them with certain things, but worry about how they will be perceived for utilising the technology.

We must remember that AI is here to support people. It should be viewed as a partner. A tool that allows us to focus on what we do best. Leaving us to set our attention on strategy, creativity, and problem solving.

For that to happen, confidence needs to improve. And that’s where a lot of businesses are falling short.

Most workers are figuring it out with trial and error. With only one in three getting any formal training. That can lead to mistakes, uncertainty, and mistrust.

There’s quite a gap in confidence between management and junior staff. With 70% of managers feeling confident with the technology and only 30% of junior staff feeling the same way.

So, how do we fix it?

It begins with culture. Business leaders should create an environment where experimentation with AI is welcomed, not judged.

Let your team know using AI tools doesn’t mean they’re cheating. It’s working smarter.

Create opportunities for them to learn, whether that’s formal training, in-house workshops, or simply having people share how they use AI to make their job easier.

AI confidence won’t happen overnight. But if you give people the necessary support and make them feel trusted, you’ll likely start to see results. Things like better efficiency, more creativity, and a team that’s better prepared for what the future brings.