Risky: New report reveals European employees most likely to bring their own GenAI tools without clearance at work
Employees in the Asia-Pacific region are leading the world when it comes to the use of generative AI at work, while Europe falls behind, according to a new report.
The 2024 Work Trend Index Report from Microsoft and LinkedIn revealed 75% of knowledge workers around the world are already using generative AI at work.
By region, APAC leads with 83% of employees there already using GenAI for work, followed closely behind by Latin America with 83%.
Only 66% of employees in North America have adopted GenAI for work, with Europe coming in last across the regions surveyed with only 65%, according to the report.
By market, those in APAC lead the world when it comes to GenAI adoption, particularly India, Indonesia, and Thailand, where 92% of global workers there are now using the emerging technology at work.
Source: 2024 Work Trend Index Report
Meanwhile, the report also found that there are employees across the world who are "taking things into their own hands" amid the lack of clear guidance or clearance from employers when it comes to GenAI.
It found that 78% are "bringing their own AI to work (BYOAI)," with the numbers rising for small and medium-sized firms at 80%.
According to the report, the practice is most popular in Europe, with 80% of employees there bringing their own AI tools in the workplace. By market, BYOAI is most popular in the Netherlands with 88%, followed by the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Hong Kong with 86%.
Source: 2024 Work Trend Index Report
The report attributed the practice of BYOAI to employees seeking relief from overwhelming workloads.
"The opportunity for every leader is to channel this momentum into ROI," the report said.
