Global survey reveals the majority of workers (60%) believe AI has a positive impact on society

New data from Softonic.com reveals Gen Z workers are the most likely of all age groups to use AI at work 

 Softonic.com, the world’s leading secure software distributor, has published the results of a new survey that gauges respondents’ opinions on the impact of AI on society and their concerns about AI replacing their jobs and using AI in the workplace.

Experts are looking at attitudes to AI both in the workplace and in society. For example, a study published by the Qualtrics XM Institute last year, revealed that 48% of consumers polled were highly concerned about the lack of humans to connect with if companies automate their interactions.

The Softonic survey found that some 60% of respondents believe AI would improve society, versus 19% who think it will do more harm than good. Almost half (46%) said they had used AI at work in the last six months. The survey has been conducted among 1,000 participants from more than 30 countries across seven continents.

The impact of AI in the workplace

Another study by the Pew Research Center last year revealed that workers in the most AI-exposed industries like IT were more optimistic about the impact of AI on their jobs compared to less exposed industries like hospitality.

The Softonic report found that the youngest workers are more likely to use AI for their jobs, with (56%) of employees aged 18 to 24 using AI for work compared to (45%) across all ages. Respondents from this same age range are most likely to believe that AI will replace their jobs (46% versus 31% of all respondents).

However, a significant majority of people (56%) believe AI will assist them with their job tasks instead of replacing them.

ChatGPT emerged as the most widely used AI tool globally, with 42% of those who used AI indicating they have used it, reflecting its popularity. Google Gemini (Bard) followed with 20% of respondents.

Microsoft’s Copilot was used by 16% of respondents, indicating a moderate level of adoption. However, 40% of respondents reported not using these AI tools.

Of all respondents, 21% revealed they used AI at work to complete creative tasks, more than the 16% who used AI to complete back-office tasks.

Softonic’s Director of Catalog and Traffic, Ferran Gavín, said: “It is excellent news that a significant majority of people believe that AI will be an invention for good in the world, considering its incredible power. There is an opportunity to streamline repetitive jobs today and accelerate processes, and I’m very optimistic about this.

“Employers must ensure their workers have the training to prepare for an AI-driven world. By giving workers access to AI tools, people can be trained on skills which will be in high demand in the future.”