The grassroots AI uprising

AI is a grass-roots, underground uprising. 

That’s the inference of a recent research report from Microsoft and LinkedIn; that workers are taking the power to reshape the very nature of work into their own hands and machines, often without waiting for their CEOs and senior leaders to set the direction.

The 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report revealed that an incredible 75% of knowledge workers worldwide are already harnessing the power of AI tools, often without asking permission or waiting for their employers to catch up. 

And that figure is rising. Fast.

The last iteration of the same Microsoft/LinkedIn report, in late 2023, showed that less than 40% of knowledge workers were using AI. 

Said plainly and clearly...

AI usage has doubled in the past 6 months.

How do you compare?

Consciously or not, we all like to compare ourselves to industry statistics that significant research reports like this one throw out.

This survey is significant. 

It questioned 3,800 workers in 31 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia, asking whether and how they used consumer-grade generative AI systems like Microsoft Copilot and OpenAI ChatGPT.

How do you personally compare to these stats and trends? 

• 46% had started using AI within the past six months.
• 78% had started without mandates from employers or managers. 
• 80% said AI tools helped them save time, focus on the most important work, be more creative, and enjoy work more.
• 53% worried that AI could make them replaceable. 
• 52% of AI users were reluctant to admit using AI for important tasks. 
• Yet, 69% said that AI could help them get promoted more quickly, and 76% said they needed AI skills to stay competitive in the job market.
• 66% of senior leaders said they wouldn’t hire an applicant who didn’t know how to use basic generative AI tools.

AI adoption isn't waiting, nor asking for permission

It’s now pretty clear that the AI revolution is not confined to the world of tech giants and Silicon Valley startups. 

It’s a movement for the people, by the people. They’re dancing in the streets. It's happening in offices, homes, hot-desking spaces and and cafes around the world. 

To my eyes, the survey results paint a real picture of AI adoption that transcends age, geography, and industry. 

Surveys like this one from Microsoft and LinkedIn always love to highlight differences between age groups, playing off Boomers against Millennials. It’s great clickbait material.

Not this survey.

From the digital natives of Gen Z to the seasoned veterans of the workforce, the stats show knowledge workers linking arms together and embracing AI tools together. At a breathtaking pace.

The stats show that strong majorities of all age groups now use AI at work; including 85% of under 28 year olds and 73% of those 58 or older. 

But to me, the most remarkable trend is that this adoption is happening organically. 

Employees are taking the initiative to learn and leverage AI tools on their own terms, often not waiting for their senior leaders to sanction or encourage organisational AI adoption. 

I think the driving force behind this trend of grassroots AI adoption is pretty clear: the desire to work smarter, not harder, by focusing on the tasks that truly matter. 

AI tools make this possible. Quickly, intuitively, and enjoyably.

The fear factor: Navigating AI anxiety

History tells us that great technological shifts often come with their fair share of fear and uncertainty. 

This survey is no different.

It reveals that 53% of knowledge workers worry that AI could render them replaceable. 

This anxiety is understandable, but I actually think it comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of what AI is and what it can do…

Right now in 2024 (although this could evolve very quickly in the next 12 months), AI can and is displacing tasks within roles, but not whole roles altogether. 

What I mean by this is that your role is actually a collection of dozens of tasks that you complete regularly. When you bundle all of those tasks together, you get a job or a role. 

At this point in time – and again, I'll put this with the caveat that this could change very quickly – AI can either do some of our tasks entirely for us, or help us to do those tasks many times more efficiently and productively ourselves. 

However, there are very few instances right now where AI is actually replacing whole bundles of tasks, i.e. replacing entire human roles. 

I think this misunderstanding is driving a lot of the anxiety that's out there about AI currently. So, I raise it frequently in my talks and in my writing to try and bring some balance to the conversation.

"What do we want? AI! When do we want it? Now! Instantly. At 100GB/sec."

How and why employers must support AI adoption

Employers have a huge role to play in this AI transition we’re witnessing. And this survey would suggest they’re not playing their part properly right now. 

The survey shows that only 39% of knowledge workers who use AI at work receive any form of training or support from their organisations. 

To me, this is not just a missed opportunity; it's a failure of leadership.

What I see out there is that companies that invest in comprehensive AI education and skills training don’t just equip their employees with essential skills; in doing so they also create a hugely valuable culture of innovation and continuous learning. 

Let me highlight a really awesome way that I see some of my clients doing this… 

To counter the concerning trend that this survey shows, (78% of employees starting AI use without permission from employers or managers), several of my clients are using creative and innovative ways to not only promote AI use but to celebrate it. 

They're organising competitions and hackathons that encourage employees to internally share successful AI prompts and use cases they’re using in their work. 

By offering monthly prizes, which may be cash, time off, or other valuable incentives, these forward-thinking companies are bringing AI usage out in the open and sending a loud and clear message that they not only permit but also openly celebrate the use of AI. 

These initiatives are proving to be hugely successful in driving not only AI usage but also strong business results.

By empowering their teams to experiment with AI tools and redesign their workflows, the leaders of these organisations are unlocking new levels of productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction for their people.

Let’s not be vague…

One of the things that most frustrates people about futurism-related conversations is that they often deal in a currency of vague promises or predictions about what might be in the future.

As a direct contrast, one of the things I enjoy about generative AI is that it's here, now. We don't have to deal with indistinct speculations.

Microsoft and LinkedIn’s 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report shows that the benefits of generative AI are not a distant dream; they’re present reality. 

As workers continue to lead the grassroots charge in adopting and adapting to these powerful tools, the onus is on employers to keep pace and provide the support and resources needed to fully realise the potential of AI.

The workplace now belongs to those who can put reigns around the snout of AI, to augment and amplify their human capabilities. 

I feel like the grassroots AI uprising we’re witnessing is more than just a trend; it's a commentary on the ingenuity, adaptability, and resilience of humans. 

I hope that from here, we continue to see more of workers and their leadership working together to shape AI’s course toward workplaces that are more productive, more enjoyable, and more human than ever before.