Nearly two-thirds of workers have avoided using AI at some point due to moral, environmental, privacy, accuracy and other concerns, according to a quarterly AI and employment survey released Tuesday by CNBC and SurveyMonkey.
The survey was conducted April 17-21 among 3,597 students and workers across the U.S. Of the respondents, 3,365 said they were employed and 232 said they were students.
When asked if they had avoided using AI, 36% of students surveyed said they had avoided it due to environmental concerns, compared to 19% of workers. The environmental impacts of AI data centers include significant water and land usage, energy consumption, and heat wastage.
Furthermore, 36% of students said they avoided using AI due to moral or ethical concerns about the technology, compared to 28% of workers.
Sneha Rebanur, 21, founder and president of Encode AI, an AI policy nonprofit that was not involved in the study, said some Gen Zers want to refrain from using AI because they worry that AI will plagiarize or steal other people’s work. Some people are “concerned about what it means for critical thinking and creativity” or “see it as an attack on their humanity,” she added.
When it comes to practical applications, 37% of students and 26% of workers said they have avoided AI because it is not accurate or useful. Experts say the use of AI could create more work and cause a type of mental strain and fatigue that researchers call “brain flies.”
Among both students and workers, 37% of each group cited privacy concerns as a reason for avoiding the use of AI. Some respondents said they have avoided AI because it is too difficult to learn (6% of students and 8% of workers), while others have avoided AI for other reasons not listed (4% of students and 5% of workers).
The survey also found that two-thirds of students feel pessimistic about the job market, and 56% of students say AI has made them more pessimistic about the job market. Approximately 53% of workers and 65% of students believe that AI is eliminating employment opportunities for entry-level workers.
“There’s a lot of completely understandable resistance to using AI,” Leverneur says. But as a current fourth-year student at Stanford University, which she calls an “AI-enabled campus,” Leverneur says she also sees the other side of things. Many students are using AI in their work and personal lives.
Many employers are encouraging workers to demonstrate their AI skills during the hiring process. “AI skills are increasingly valued in job postings, and there are signs that employers are willing to pay a premium for AI skills,” Elena Magrini, global head of research at labor market analysis firm Lightcast, told CNBC in September. According to a recent report from early career job site Handshake, the percentage of entry-level positions specifically seeking AI skills has nearly doubled from a year ago.
According to data from CNBC and SurveyMonkey, most workers who reported using AI daily or weekly said it increases their productivity (73%) and saves them time (68%). More than half (55%) of all workers said they believe AI will eventually be able to perform some of their jobs as well.
Leverneur says he uses AI every day in his life and considers himself a “power user.”
“I believe we can use AI and get a lot of value from it on a personal level, but at the same time we can be critical of the big picture and have a lot of reservations about the big picture,” she says. “I think these two ideas can coexist perfectly.”
Do you want to get ahead at work? Next, you need to learn how to make effective small talk. In CNBC’s new online course, “How to Talk to People at Work,” expert instructors share practical strategies for using everyday conversations to increase visibility, build meaningful relationships, and accelerate career growth. Sign up now!
