'Managers must find a balance': Report claims businesses might need to get HR involved to make workers use AI

• Managers play a crucial role in how effectively organizations deploy AI
• HR teams need to support managers and help unlock AI-related business impacts
• Companies also need to guide workers on what to do with the time they save when using AI

Gartner has revealed new research claiming most workers are reluctant to get fully on board with AI, with around half (46%) of managers experimenting with artificial intelligence compared with just a quarter (26%) of regular employees.

The research notes how AI isn't the silver bullet which will revolutionize productivity in the workplace, and workers aren't suddenly changing how they work after employing AI aids.

And that's if they use AI tools at all – 86% of managers say they face some sort of challenge when it comes to encouraging teams to use the technology.

Workers aren't jumping to adopt AI, it seems

It seems many workers lack a lot of direction when it comes to using AI, with many organizations expecting employees to figure out how to use AI themselves. The Gartner report encourages managers to guide teams on how AI actually fits into their real-world processes.

Additionally, only 7% of the companies surveyed provide guidance to workers on how they should use the time they save by using AI.

Gartner also links employee pushback to layoffs – with many companies reducing workforces in response to rising costs and AI efficiencies, workers may fear that a mass AI rollout could threaten their jobs.

"Thus far, HR has largely focused on empowering employees to explore, learn and innovate with AI and have overlooked the role of the manager in driving effective use of AI tools," Senior Principal Carmen von Rohr wrote.

Looking ahead, the report urges HR departments to focus on supporting managers, who are seen are key drivers of AI adoption, with the right training, guidance and tools.

"Once employees are saving significant blocks of time through AI use, that saved time will need to be effectively redeployed," von Rohr added, noting that HR should also help mangers identify how to capitalize on AI's productivity benefits to generate more business impact.

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