According to a Reeracoen survey, over 53.5% of workers in APAC are concerned that AI may replace their professions, with Gen Z being the most concerned about job security.
More than 400 employees from a range of APAC industries provided insights for the report, Perception of AI in the Workplace. It brought attention to the talent gap, the fear that AI causes in various generations, and the need for improved upskilling assistance from businesses and governments. Among the report’s main conclusions are:
AI #1 Anxiety across generations
In contrast to older generations, who are less concerned with immediate dangers, Gen Z is more concerned about AI’s impact on job security in the medium term, even if more than half of workers are concerned about it taking over jobs, according to the survey. While 31.8 percent of Gen X workers are most concerned about issues that will arise after the next five years, roughly 32.8% of Baby Boomers are the least concerned about AI replacing their jobs. In the meantime, 27% of Gen Y employees are concerned about how AI may affect their jobs in the next three to five years, while 36.5 percent of Gen Z employees are the most concerned. Furthermore, 21% of Gen Z employees fear AI may replace them in their careers in the next one to two years.
Both younger and older workers are dedicated to upskilling despite these differences; older generations are using local resources to help their learning, while Gen Z is prioritizing technical skills. This emphasizes the necessity of effective workforce initiatives to deal with these issues.
#2 Proactive upskilling efforts
Notably, 62.4% of participants are actively preparing for a future led by AI, primarily through data analysis and AI courses. This tendency fits in nicely with government efforts to develop a workforce prepared for AI. Furthermore, about 32.9% of workers intend to upgrade their skills through training and certificates; a significant portion of this group consists of Gen Zers (28.7%) and Gen Yers (31.6%). Another 29.5 percent want to keep abreast of AI advancements in their domains, and 19.4 percent are thinking about changing careers, with 37.5 percent of Gen Zers falling into this category.
It’s interesting to note that some Baby Boomers indicated that if AI poses a serious danger to their job security, they may think about retiring or quitting.
#3 Employer support gap
Regarding business backing for AI integration, opinions differ. The need for more robust corporate policies to assist employees in preparing for AI advances is highlighted by the fact that only 23.1% of respondents believed their firms were genuinely supportive in this regard. 16.9% have unfavorable opinions—10.6% believe they aren’t very supported, and 6.3% think they receive no support at all—while 34.2% feel moderately supported and 25.9% are neutral.
It’s interesting to note that while 30.1% of respondents acknowledge some efforts, only 8.6% of respondents think their companies are sufficiently planning for changes prompted by AI. In contrast, 33.1 percent are neutral, and 28.3 percent believe businesses aren’t doing enough. Of these, 22% see little help, and 6.3% believe none at all. These results highlight the need for businesses to be proactive in successfully incorporating AI into the workplace by pointing to serious concerns around assistance and readiness.
With Gen Z accounting for the majority at 28.3%, about 24.8% of respondents use AI technologies for 20% of their work. Of these, Gen Z accounts for 40.7% of the share, with 14.8% utilizing AI technologies for up to 30% of their activities. Gen Y tops this group with 43.8% of respondents, but only 4% of respondents use AI technologies for 40% of their activities.
Across all age groups, ChatGPT is the most popular AI tool. For some jobs, younger users also utilize Grammarly and Canva. Despite ChatGPT’s widespread use, less than 10% of respondents’ daily chores involve AI. This demonstrates the generational gap in AI adoption, with Gen Z adopting it at a higher rate than previous generations.
#5 Jobs that are safe (and not safe) from AI
About 25.9% of participants believe that AI won’t replace medical personnel like doctors and nurses. Furthermore, 20.4 percent of Gen Y workers think managerial positions are less likely to be replaced, and 16.7 percent of Gen Y workers agree, citing specialized trades like plumbing and electrical jobs as the least replaceable. With over 32% of Gen Z working in human-centered roles like social work and counseling, only 10.7% of respondents believe these jobs are safe from AI.
Customer service and interaction-based tasks, manual and labor-intensive tasks, technical and IT tasks, and creative tasks were the most endangered job roles.
Mr. Kenji Naito, Group CEO of Reeracoen Group, offered his opinion on closing the AI preparation gap, saying, “As AI reshapes the workforce, our role is to guide companies and job seekers to navigate these changes successfully.” This report provides invaluable insights, enabling us to align our strategies with Singapore’s Smart Nation 2.0 vision and connect businesses with AI-ready talent. Our findings show that while AI adoption is accelerating, companies must take proactive steps to support their employees’ upskilling. By connecting businesses with high-calibre candidates, we will continue contributing to Singapore’s vision of becoming a global AI hub.”
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26 & 27 October 2024
10am – 6pm
Hall 1-2, KL Convention Centre