SAN MATEO, Calif., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Freshworks Inc. (NASDAQ:
FRSH) released its new Global AI Workplace Report
(https://www.freshworks.com/resources/reports/workplace-
tech/?utm_source=usa&utm_medium=pressrelease&utm_campaign=pr2024jun) today,
revealing how various workplace departments are interacting with AI since the
new era of generative AI exploded into the market 18 months ago. The global
survey of 7,000+ full-time employees, collected from March 9 to April 4, 2024,
revealed how AI has become a tool commonly used among knowledge workers - more
than half (55%) of workers surveyed said they are currently using software
applications enhanced with AI at work.
Moreover, nearly three in four of all workers surveyed (72%) trust AI to bring
value to their work processes - and 81% of employees trust AI because they
believe its quality of work is good or it makes their team more productive. The
report demonstrates that AI is quickly moving from an experimental pilot tool to
an active driver of substantial enterprise efficiency and productivity gains
across operations and industries.
"This report exemplifies that AI is delivering tremendous productivity gains at
enterprise scale," said Freshworks Chief Product Officer, Prakash Ramamurthy.
"Knowledge workers are also seeing strong productivity gains at work, which in
turn is sparking strong employee interest in mastering AI skills. Make no
mistake, the AI era is firmly delivering on its promise to free up employees for
higher-level work and showcasing compelling returns on AI."
Return on AI: Productivity gains equivalent to a month each year
Freshworks' survey found knowledge workers are achieving impressive productivity
gains from using AI at work. Employees estimate that using AI helps them reduce
their existing workload by 3 hours and 47 minutes in a typical work week, by
helping them complete tasks such as summarizing issues and suggesting the next
steps to handling repetitive tasks. By freeing up nearly 24 business days - or
just over one month of work per year - employees can take on higher-value work
that delivers greater engagement.
Nearly all (95%) senior leaders (defined as manager level and above) using AI
say their departments are measuring the business impact AI brings to their
organization. Many report productivity improvement (52%), better quality of work
(47%), and improved customer engagement (34%). Still, 37% of workers admit they
don't have good metrics for measuring productivity in their organization.
Leaders surveyed believe the return on AI will only improve, with 80% of senior
leaders saying AI software will provide enough business impact to prove its
worth within two years. When all respondents were asked about the value of
generative AI, open-ended comments included improving internal and external
communication and externally, eliminating redundant email threads and speeding
creation of technical reports.
"Leaders across industries perceive AI as a transformative technology capable of
delivering significant business impact, from enhanced decision-making and
increased operational efficiencies to personalized customer experiences and
innovative product development," said Ramamurthy.
"Surprise AI" is everywhere
Freshworks' survey also revealed more workers are using - and benefiting from -
AI than they even realize. Almost half (40%) of workers surveyed think they use
AI at work but don't know to what extent or how. This sentiment was confirmed by
47% of IT respondents who agreed employees are using software that incorporates
AI but don't realize they're using it. For instance, AI is often embedded into
existing popular software to enable email autocomplete, suggested meeting times
or notes from meetings.
Despite a lack of full awareness of AI's role in their work life, many employees
professed widespread confidence in their ability to use AI. IT departments are,
to no surprise, the most confident and comfortable using the technology, with
(75%) saying they're knowledgeable or an expert, followed by marketing (65%) and
finance (52%).
The race to embrace is strong
Workers appreciate that AI is a workplace game-changer, and they're taking
action to embrace its value. More than two in three workers (70%) say they're
looking for ways to develop their AI skill set to stay as marketable as
possible. Similarly, more than a third of workers (37%) say their companies are
adopting AI software due to a fear of missing out on the next big thing or on
innovations that AI could give their competition.
Employees also see clear benefits to the organization; nearly two-thirds of
workers (62%) say boosting profitability or staying competitive are the main
reasons to adopt AI-enhanced software applications. Nearly half (46%) say any
company not using AI is already behind and likely to fail in the future.
While most workers (69%) say AI will never be able to completely replace human
workers, they do harbor concerns about how it could hold back the next
generation. Nearly half of the workers surveyed (44%) say AI will replace junior
roles and create heavier competition for entry-level roles.
The U.S. is a top AI developer - but also ranks last in AI adoption and trust
AI adoption also saw varied uptake, with surprising discrepancies within
employees in countries leading in AI development, such as the United States. Of
the survey respondents, the U.S. ranks last globally when it comes to AI
adoption (50%), trust in workplace AI software bringing value to their work
(59%) and comfort in using AI (61%). By comparison, respondents from India and
the United Arab Emirates lead in AI adoption (75%), comfort with AI (88%), and
trust in workplace AI software bringing value to their work (86%). Complete
stack rankings are available in the report.
To download the full report and learn more about AI in the workplace, visit
freshworks.com (https://www.freshworks.com/resources/reports/workplace-
tech/?utm_source=usa&utm_medium=pressrelease&utm_campaign=pr2024jun).
Methodology
Freshworks conducted this research using an online survey prepared by Method
Research (https://www.methodcommunications.com/methodresearch/) and distributed
by PureSpectrum (https://www.purespectrum.com/) among n=7,000 adults ages 18+
who are full-time salaried employees currently working in a desk job position,
with n=1,000 United States, n=1,000 United Kingdom, and n=500 within each of the
following countries: Netherlands, Germany, France, Singapore, Australia/New
Zealand, India, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil.
Within each country, the sample included employees working in human resources,
IT, customer services/support, finance/accounting, sales, marketing, and legal
departments, including a sample of manager or above titles within each
department. The sample was balanced by gender, age, and company size, with an
internationally representative geographic spread of respondents. Data was
collected from March 9 to April 4, 2024.
Learn more about the surprising nuances of AI use and perception at work by
downloading Freshworks 2024 Global AI Workplace Report, or visiting
freshworks.com (http://freshworks.com).
About Freshworks
Freshworks Inc. (NASDAQ: FRSH) makes it easy for companies to delight their
customers and their employees. Our AI-powered customer and employee-service
solutions increase efficiency and improve engagement for companies of all sizes.
The result is happier customers and more productive employees. Headquartered in
San Mateo, California, Freshworks operates around the world to serve more than
67,000 customers, including American Express, Bridgestone, Databricks, Fila,
Nucor and Sony. For the latest company news, visit www.freshworks.com
(http://www.freshworks.com) and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.
© 2024 Freshworks Inc. All Rights Reserved. Freshworks and its associated logo
is a trademark of Freshworks Inc. All other company, brand and product names may
be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Nothing in
this press release should be construed to the contrary, or as an approval,
endorsement or sponsorship by any third party of Freshworks Inc. or any aspect
of this press release.
Media Contact
Erika Howard
erika.howard@freshworks.com (mailto:erika.howard@freshworks.com)
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