The vast majority of executives and workers in the technology industry claim to know more about generative artificial intelligence tools than they actually do, according to an April 2 report from Pluralsight, a technology workforce development company.
Paradoxes around workplace AI abound as well, the report found. Although 95% of tech executives said having AI skills is crucial for job security, 61% of tech workers said using AI tools at work is seen as “lazy” at their company.
“In addition to the systemic misrepresentation of AI knowledge, Pluralsight also found that AI is complicating perceptions about how work is getting done,” Chris McClellen, chief product and technology officer at Pluralsight, said in a statement.
In a survey of 1,200 technology executives and workers in the U.S. and U.K., 91% of C-suite executives and 79% of workers admitted they’ve pretended to know more about AI at work than they actually do.
About 90% of workers said losing their role to AI was at least somewhat likely, and they’re more afraid of being replaced by AI now than they were a year ago, Pluralsight said.
In addition, half of employers said AI skills were “highly preferred” when looking for talent, and 20% said they were “mandatory.” About 84% of companies said they’d likely replace or outsource talent to support AI initiatives that lack internal talent.
In response, tech workers feel the need to upskill in both AI and other areas, the report found. About 91% said they’re concerned about their skills becoming obsolete due to AI, up from 74% in the 2024 survey.
Other survey results have similarly indicated that workers have AI confidence but no training to back it up, which can lead to ethical and security-related problems, according to a Multiverse report. While investing in AI tools, employers should also develop standardized AI skills assessments and increase investment in AI training at all levels, Multiverse recommended.
But all is not rosy in the tech transformation. Amid AI adoption, C-suite leaders are grappling with conflict and silos within their organizations, according to a Writer report. About 1 in 3 employees are pushing back by refusing to use AI tools or skipping AI-related training, the report found.
