A new survey shows that managers fear AI tools could lead to lower wages in 2024. nicoletaionescu/Getty Images
Nearly half of U.S. managers surveyed by Beautiful.ai fear that AI tools could reduce wages.
Some managers say tools like OpenAI’s Chat GPT could do their jobs better than they can.
Still, the majority of bosses use AI to manage their teams, the survey found.
This is a machine translation of an article from our US colleagues at Business Insider. It was automatically translated and checked by a real editor.
Managers are concerned that using powerful generative AI tools like OpenAI’s Chat GPT in the workplace could erode their salaries.
Beautiful.ai, a KI-Startup, surveyed 3,000 Americans in leadership positionsto understand their attitude towards the use of technology.
Of those surveyed, 48 percent of managers said AI tools pose a “threat to their pay” and will result in “wage losses” nationwide in 2024.
This fear stems in part from a belief that technology can do their jobs more effectively: 64 percent of respondents said their performance and productivity is “equivalent” and “potentially better” than the quality of work provided by human managers can.
After all, the technology has a whole range of functions. Chat GPT, which launched in November 2022, can generate videos, create marketing materials, and write lesson plans. In early March, Cognition introduced Devin, the “first AI software engineer” who can troubleshoot and train AI models, according to the startup.
Bosses also appear concerned that the tools could reduce their employees’ wages. Sixty-two percent of managers surveyed said their employees feel AI could eventually put them out of a job, according to Beautiful.ai. Forty-five percent of executives said the technology will provide an “opportunity to reduce salaries” across the workforce.
“There is no doubt that implementing AI tools makes employees question their value to the company,” the survey said.
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The findings on managers’ pay concerns join a growing body of research showing how workers believe technology could affect their income. One published last May Opinion poll found that nearly 79 percent of U.S. workers of all generations fear the introduction of AI would lead to pay cuts.
AI threatens jobs, but also offers opportunities
And it may already be threatening some jobs. As of March 25, more than 50,000 tech industry workers have been laid off in 2024, according to job loss tracker data Layoffs.fyi. This could be fueled by increased investment in AI, analysts say.
One CEO of an e-commerce company said he replaced 90 percent of his support staff with AI chatbots; a freelance copywriter claimed she started losing clients to ChatGPT.
Conversely, technology has the potential to increase compensation. A study by Access Partnership last December found that employers are willing to pay at least 30 percent more salary to employees with AI skills. Even large companies offer six-figure salaries to attract talent. Generative AI has even spawned a small industry with side jobs like ChatGPT courses and content editing.
According to Beautiful.ai, 64 percent of managers said they have been using AI to manage their employees on a daily or weekly basis since early 2024. “Companies can expect much more from AI in the future,” says the survey. “It’s not a question of if they should use technology in the workplace, but when.”
Beautiful.ai did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider before publication.
Axel Springer, the parent company of Business Insider, has reached a global agreement that allows OpenAI to train its models on the reporting of its media brands.
Read the original article Business Insider.
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