Generational gap on Generative AI leaves older staff behind

Workers are using generative AI to better cope with the repetitive strain of administrative work, according to a new report. However, while a majority of younger workers now use the technology once a week, those aged over 55 are reluctant to take it up without greater levels of training.

One of the leading debates around the implementation of new technology is still to what extent it will bring about a workforce re-alignment, with widespread job losses. While dialogue usually centres on repetitive or physical work, however, the recent advent of generative AI has seen the conversation shift to areas of creative labour – which could either see their roles change or disappear altogether in the coming years.

However, a new study from Accenture suggests that AI in its current form is supplementing, rather than replacing staff. A poll of 2,002 workers across the UK found that a growing number of staff were deploying AI more regularly to help meet their everyday duties.

Around 10% of workers use generative AI daily, according to the research, with 92% of those saying they found tools “useful”. Elaborating on why, more than a quarter told Accenture they felt more productive, stating that using generative AI for tasks such as administration and document searches frees up time to do more quality work.

Popular tasks the workers set generative AI to execute were not limited to filing, though. While 28% deployed the technology for admin and operational processes, research and data analysis accounted for 27% of respondents’ use, while 24% also used it for brainstorming sessions – due to generative AI’s ability to churn out suggestions based on pre-existing and successful designs, texts and images that it has imbibed.

Emma Kendrew, technology lead for Accenture in the UK, said, “The rise of generative AI is an opportunity for organisations to reinvent the tasks people do day-to-day. Despite the technology being in its infancy, it is already starting to win over workers and proving useful, particularly those just starting their careers.”

More than two-thirds of those using generative AI also found it boosted their job satisfaction. Not every group of employees was equally as enthused by its potential, though. While two-thirds of workers aged 18-24 said they used AI tools on a weekly basis, that tumbled to just 22% among adults aged 55 and older.

Explaining this gap, Accenture sited statistic showing that over half of Gen Z workers have received training on how to use generative AI, compared to only 17% of those over 55. This backs up recent studies showing that 39% of frontline staff have concerns about the risks of using AI technology at work, and 86% suggest that they would need training before they felt comfortable with its use. It appears in that case that bosses need to do more to help their workforce get the most from AI before expecting it to become a mainstay in the office.

Kendrew added, “It’s still very early days to fully understand how generative AI will change the future of work. We’re already seeing people experiment with it in a broad range of ways, from helping with mundane, process-driven tasks to more creative areas such as idea generation, as people look for more productive ways of working. What is clear is that there will continue to be a strong appetite for AI from office workers, with many exploring it as an opportunity to find greater overall satisfaction in their working lives.”