CEO also say it's shifting recruitment strategy to bring in more AI skills
While many employers are clamping down ChatGPT use in the workplace, around 9,000 employees at Japan-based firm Daiwa Securities Group have been given the greenlight to utilise the AI chatbot, according to a report.
Bloomberg reported that Daiwa launched in April an experiment that allowed workers to "freely use" ChatGPT. Its CEO, Seiji Nakata, said the AI tech could help the company's salespeople identify financial products that will best fit their clients, and assist their traders execute orders for corporate customers more efficiently.
According to Nakata, ChatGPT will be "able to do all kinds of things."
"There are things that humans should handle, like negotiations in advising on mergers and acquisitions or for securities underwriting. But there are also routine tasks in the process that can be replaced," he told Bloomberg in an interview.
His remarks echo growing sentiments among employees across Asia who are showing willingness to embrace AI tools if it means reducing their workloads.
In Japan, an automatica survey found that 76% out of 1,000 employees would welcome AI services such as ChatGPT to help them make the right decision in the workplace.
Meanwhile, Nakata also told Bloomberg that the company is prioritising training its staff to become AI experts and data scientists due to the high bar for finding people who are familiar with the technology and securities business.
This reflects the growing demand for AI-skilled staff across the world, with 91% of employers saying in a ResumeBuilder survey that they are in search of workers with experience on ChatGPT.
According to these employers, they want ChatGPT-skilled staff to teach the rest of the employees on the technology, and to save a lot of human and material resources, among other reasons.
For Daiwa, Nakata also told Bloomberg that Daiwa has been strengthening its recruitment of science graduates to develop high-tech experts in the company.
According to the CEO, 21% of the new college graduates they hired so far this year are science, technology, engineering, and math degree holders. This could hit 50% in the future, the CEO said.
The shift in recruitment strategy comes amid concerns that generative AI could put at risk around 300 million full-time jobs, according to a report from Goldman Sachs. Nakata, however, said his employees have not yet expressed concerns on job security following the company's adoption of AI.
Daiwa's strategy on ChatGPT adds it to the growing list of companies allowing AI use in workplaces, such as Deutsche Bank AG, Bloomberg reported.
There are employers, however, that are restricting AI use, particularly ChatGPT, amid privacy and security concerns.
Samsung imposed a temporary ban on ChatGPT after suffering from a data leak early this year. Amazon, Verizon, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and Accenture also implemented restrictions on using the AI chatbot.
