A report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) shows workers are saving hours every week thanks to AI, and nearly 60% believe AI could take over at least half of their tasks within three years.
Artificial
intelligence is now a regular part of work for employees across the Gulf. According
to a new BCG report, 93% of frontline workers in the GCC use AI several times a
week, which puts the region ahead of the global average.
AI usage is even
higher among managers and leaders, with 95% using it regularly, as per BCG X's
fourth annual AI at Work report, which includes data from the UAE, Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar. These figures position the GCC alongside India as a
global leader in integrating AI into the workplace. Globally, only 74% of
frontline employees use AI.
Employees are
not just using AI more often, many say it is helping them save a significant
amount of time. Around 58% of frontline workers in the GCC said AI saves them
at least eight hours per week, which is similar to a full day’s work.
AI changing
the skills needed at work
This rises to
67% among managers and leaders.
The rapid use of
AI is also changing the skills that companies expect from their employees.
Around 85% of
frontline workers and 92% of managers and leaders in the GCC said AI has
changed the skills required for their jobs.
Robert Xu,
Managing Director and Partner at BCG X, said the GCC workforce has moved beyond
experimenting with AI to integrating it into their daily work.
He added that
organizations that are seeing the best results are not only using AI tools but
also training their employees to use them effectively.
Could AI do
half your job?
The report also
shows how employees expect their jobs to evolve over the next three years.
Some 60% of
frontline workers in the GCC believe AI could take over at least half of their
current job responsibilities within three years.
This rises to
66% among managers and leaders.
Despite these
expectations, concerns about losing jobs to AI remain relatively low.
Only 28% of
frontline workers and 29% of managers and leaders fear they might lose their
jobs to AI.
More
employees say AI makes work enjoyable
AI is also
linked with increased job satisfaction.
Around 69% of
frontline employees in the GCC said they feel more joyful at work since using
AI, rising to 77% among managers and leaders.
BCG said that
organizations that generate the most business value from AI often have
employees who report greater job satisfaction.
However, the
consultancy warned that high AI adoption alone doesn't ensure business
benefits.
Globally, 42% of
frontline workers who use AI regularly save at least a full working day each
week, but 66% receive little or no guidance on how to use the time they save.
Rami Mourtada,
Partner and Director at BCG, said that organizations need clear leadership,
governance, and operating models to turn individual productivity gains into
broader business benefits.
BCG's report
also found that training remains a challenge globally.
Only 36% of
respondents said they received enough preparation, despite 72% of regular AI
users saying the skills needed for their jobs have changed significantly.
