BANGALORE, INDIA, December 17, 2024 — AI adoption is on the rise in India with 61% of Indian desk workers using AI in their jobs and 80% excited about the prospect of AI replacing some tasks, according to Slack’s new Workforce Index. India’s progress in AI adoption underscores the growing prioritization of AI among its executives and reflects a heightened sense of urgency among business leaders to unlock its transformative potential.
While Indian workers are leading the way on AI adoption globally, the research points to some uncertainty and discomfort around AI usage. 21% of Indian workers report feeling uncomfortable admitting AI use to their managers for fear they might be seen as incompetent, lazy, or cheating.
Why it matters: According to McKinsey, AI could increase corporate profits by $4.4 trillion a year, and Salesforce research finds that sales teams using AI are 1.3x more likely to see revenue increase than those who don’t use it. To realize the benefits of AI, however, employers need to encourage employees to use the technology and equip them with the training and guidance needed to work successfully in this new era.
Rahul Sharma, Vice President – Sales, Salesforce India, said, “India’s workforce is leading the way in AI adoption, with 61% of desk workers already integrating AI into their roles. This enthusiasm highlights the transformative potential of AI and its alignment with leadership priorities for innovation and upskilling. However, to fully harness AI’s benefits, there remains uncertainty that agents can address. By introducing AI agents with clearly defined roles and guidelines, businesses can reduce worker anxiety and foster seamless integration into daily tasks.”
Global and India Findings: India Outpaces in AI Adoption
India’s focus aligns closely with leadership goals
Indian workers are leveraging AI to align with leadership priorities more effectively than their global counterparts. While global executives want employees to focus on upskilling and innovation with the time saved by AI, Indian workers are already embracing these priorities. The top activities Indian employees expect to prioritize with AI-enabled time savings include:
- Learning and skill-building
- Innovative or creative work projects
- Advancing work on core projects
India’s forward-thinking approach highlights its leadership in AI adoption, with its workforce demonstrating greater alignment with executive expectations.
Still, some workers hide AI use out of fear, confusion
Despite the enthusiasm, some Indian workers remain hesitant to disclose their use of AI at work. About 21% of Indian desk workers said they feel uncomfortable admitting to their managers that they used AI for common workplace tasks. Key reasons for this discomfort include concerns about job security, fear of being perceived as less competent, or being seen as lazy.
Workers expect AI-savvy employers
Indian workers want to skill up on AI as 94% feel an urgency to become an AI expert. However, 40% of Indian workers have spent less than five hours total learning how to use AI, and 30% of global workers say they’ve had no AI training at all, including no self-directed learning or experimentation.
Employers will need to solve for the gap in training and get clear about AI guidelines, as current employees and new professionals entering the workforce will gravitate to more supportive workplaces.
- Global workers with guidance to use AI saw a 13% increase in AI adoption since January, while global workers with no guidance to use AI only saw a 2% increase, from 8% to 10% since January.
- 98% of Indian workers say that a prospective employer’s ability to provide and enable workers on AI tools is a factor in their job search.
- Nearly 2 in 5 workers, globally, say they’d prefer working for companies that provide AI tools and enable their use.
- Globally, people in their first job are 1.8x times more likely to say AI enablement is a “very important factor” in their job search.