UK employers are set to steeply increase AI investment this year by more than 25%, according to new research from Freshworks’ AI Workplace report.
The report puts this sharp rise down to employee demand, with the vast majority of UK employees surveyed – 80% – saying that they now consider AI a powerful tool for work.
However, while there’s no doubt that AI is here to stay in our workplaces, and has the potential to make employees more productive and less stressed, there are also serious risks to employee wellbeing that must be mitigated.
Danger employees become victims of AI revolution
Union Unite has warned that there’s a danger that workers become “victims” of the AI revolution, citing the ill-effects of surveillance and effects on recruitment, performance assessments and discipline. It also cautioned employers that the new technology could lead to employees feeling “alienated and demotivated”.
Unite’s General Secretary Sharon Graham said:
“The UK needs to embrace new technologies, but we also need proper protections from AI’s pitfalls and workers must have a say in how that happens.”
Particular AI threat to DEI agenda
Graham said she was particularly concerned about the effect of AI on the DEI agenda due to AI being discriminatory, owing to the way it’s programmed via internet algorithms.
“After years of fighting against discrimination, there is now the genuine threat of it being further embedded through AI, against women, Black and Asian ethnic minority, disabled and LGBTQ+ workers,” she said.
She urged that the introduction of AI into workplaces must happen “with” workers and not “to” workers.
“Government, employers, and unions all need to be working together to avoid the potential dangers of workplace AI,” she said.
CIPD echoed Unite’s concerns
Her words were echoed by Peter Cheese, CEO of the CIPD, when he spoke to us on this topic, ahead of his session on AI at The Watercooler Event (see end of story for more information).
He said businesses must “teach people how to use AI responsibly” and stressed the importance of employers creating organisational strategies and frameworks in order to do this, rather than allowing it to evolve organically.
“We can harness the power of these technologies and create better jobs. We can reduce our stress and produce more with less, and hopefully create more meaningful and value adding work. But none of this is going to happen by accident,” said Cheese.
He echoed Union’s concerns regarding the DEI agenda saying, when using AI, employees should always be encouraged to ask: should this be trusted? Are there other, different opinions or sources of information that should be expressed?
You can hear Peter Cheese speak more on this topic at The Watercooler Event, which takes place on 7th and 8th May 2025 at ExCeL in London, which is Europe’s leading trade show, with free-to-attend content, dedicated to creating workplaces that empower both people and business to thrive. He’s speaking on Day 1, as part of the Strategies & Leadership for Engagement & Culture stream.
You can find out more and register to attend here.
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