AI presents a tremendous opportunity for advancements in technology and society. It is revolutionizing how organizations create value across industries — from healthcare to financial services and everything in between. And it is being driven by one distinct asset: data.
Data is now so prevalent in all businesses and is being continuously created with every click of the keyboard and push of a pen. This information is exerting influence on everything from employee retention and talent acquisition to new customer onboarding and improving customer experience. The key challenge for business leaders is having the ability to capture, analyze, and act on this information to deliver improved results and performance.
Expectation on Employees
Fundamental to achieving this objective is how organizations infuse AI and analytics everywhere and among everyone in the business. After all, it is the employees on whom the burden of expectation falls. They are the ones that are both at the forefront of activity where data is being created and have the knowledge and insight to best interpret and act on it. Not just for today, but in the future too.
This was the subject of our latest research, conducted via YouGov. The topic covered the increasing use of data and its impact in the workplace. We questioned over 2,500 workers with jobs that involved handling or using information, targeting employees in France, the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands, and the UAE to gauge the use and perception of data and AI in the workplace. The results painted an engaging picture when it comes to what business leaders can learn about the relationship between employees and data.
Data Utility Essential for 84% of Employees in the United Arab Emirates
Perhaps the most telling of all was that nearly seven out of ten workers in the five countries surveyed are aware of the essential impact of data on their daily lives. It’s clear the pervasive messaging and impact around the value data can bring is resonating. Indeed, when looking at the U.K. specifically, more than three-quarters of large U.K. enterprises regard data and AI as ‘essential’ to daily work, with 69% revealing that they use more data now than five years ago.
In a similar vein, 84% of UAE respondents consider data utility to be essential. The same can be said for over two thirds (69%) of EMEA employees. Looking ahead, employees only see the importance of data increasing with over half (52%) of EMEA workers expecting to use more data in the next five years.
Data Is Becoming a Business-Critical Asset
Although, when you look at the macro environment around workplace AI, it’s easy to see how and why data is becoming such a business-critical asset. Our results come at a time when the U.K. is looking to achieve global AI superpower status as it works to create and grow a stronger nationwide AI and data environment. In September 2021, the U.K. Government announced its first-ever National AI Strategy — a 10-year plan aimed at taking a place for the country among the world’s AI superpowers. Also last year, the European Union became the first governmental body in the world to issue a comprehensive response in the form of draft regulations aimed specifically at the development and use of AI. The proposed regulations would apply to any AI system used or providing outputs within the European Union, signaling implications for organizations around the world.
The UAE has long been established as a world leader in AI — they are the first nation to appoint a minister of state for AI. Earlier this year, the Dubai International Financial Center, in collaboration with the UAE’s Artificial Intelligence Office, announced the launch of a special license for companies that focus on AI.
Clearly, the use of AI in the workplace is increasing and its integration into day-to-day activity is mandated by those with influence in all the nations we surveyed. The key question that governments, businesses, and employees must all address is how to capitalize on the data and insights AI is creating to cultivate a better working environment for everyone.
AI: A Partner in Change
The answer lies in ensuring employees across an organization have equal access to data and can see the potential benefits that can be generated. We know from the customers we work with that it is only when all people within an organization see AI as a partner in change that they will come together and collaborate. But this does not happen accidentally. It requires a culture capable of embracing data and AI to every department, every team and everyday. Something we refer to as Everyday AI — where organizations can truly capitalize on data science to gain the kind of insights that lead to innovation.
Everyday AI is what organizations can achieve when they systemize the use of data and AI — meaning they are so ingrained and intertwined with the workings of the day-to-day that they are just part of the business. The core of this approach is to allow every data-aware business worker the chance to be an AI creator instead of an observer of the AI revolution. This approach enables them to tap into the business creativity and willingness to change throughout the whole organization, providing a power that overcomes all tensions in AI adoption.
Your Culture, Our Mission
The Everyday AI approach is critical for business leaders to capitalize on. Under such conditions, execution becomes faster by including more people in the analytics process, resulting in quicker identification of opportunities, more rapid attainment of insights, and quicker action. At Dataiku, this is our mission because we know that humans are an essential link to extracting the benefits of AI. Our teams work alongside your internal teams to enable everyone to grasp AI and identify it as a real asset for their position. At the end of the day, without humans, it’s only data with limited benefit.
To find out how Dataiku can help support your data strategy, or to find out more about the impact and benefits of Everyday AI, please visit https://www.dataiku.com/home/contact-us/.