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Two-thirds of UK businesses allow workers unrestricted use of AI
Unrestricted use of AI in the office has become commonplace in the UK, with almost two-thirds( 64 %) of workers using it without limits. Surprisingly, a quarter( 26 %) of business leaders have no way of tracking the use of AI within their workforce, putting their data security at risk.
While 85 % of workers are now logging into AI tools at work, more than a third( 38 %) said their biggest worry is data security and privacy. Moreover, 85 % felt it was important for their and their firm’ s data to be stored on UK soil.
The survey of 1,000 UK business leaders was commissioned in April by leading software company, OneAdvanced, ahead of its launch of the UK’ s first safe and secure AI platform, OneAdvanced AI.
The LLM( Large Language Model) is the first of its kind in the UK to be 100 %‘ private’, securing confidential company data.
AI tools that are not private and secure risk company data being used to train models, meaning use without restriction could mean workers unwittingly handing over confidential information.
Data security is a key concern for most, with more than threequarters( 85 %) ranking UK-based hosting of company and personal data as a top priority.
Those in the 25 – 34-year-old bracket are the most concerned, with a staggering 94 % saying it is important to them. This age group were also most worried about data security and privacy when using AI, with almost half( 47 %) ranking it as their main concern.
External influences are forcing nearly one in five organisations to consider redundancies
According to recent research commissioned by Reed, the increase in National Insurance contributions is forcing 27 % of organisations to postpone or cancel the hiring of new employees. It also highlighted that 16 % were likely to make redundancies in light of the rise.
With a range of external factors raising costs for UK businesses, many are being pushed into downsizing, or at the very least limiting expansion goals. However, Carrie Ramskill, Chief Operating Officer at HGS UK, argues this shouldn’ t topple operations – outsourcing can boost organisational revenue and cost-efficiency, while helping firms to deliver a stronger customer experience( CX):“ External forces like supply chain disruptions, inflation-driven costs-of-living pressures and rising online competition, are intensifying financial pressures for UK organisations to new extremes. Indeed, a‘ quick fix’ would be to reduce costs through hiring freezes or redundancies, as identified by Reed’ s research. poor or even standard service can push customers to seek alternative options.
“ To achieve an outstanding CX, businesses must strongly consider outsourcing their customer service teams rather than sacrificing them due to external influences. Outsourcing provides best-inclass services, people and technology – for example, organisations can combine customer journey expertise, AI, Digital Transformation technology and significant implementation experience with a high value delivery location.”
“ However, if this means vital business functions, such as customer service, are sacrificed or not properly supported, the long-term consequences are potentially catastrophic. For many industries, strong customer service and a proactive personalised CX can dramatically increase revenue and build brand value – a
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