Deloitte’s latest survey, Trust in Generative AI, has revealed that more UK employees than ever are using GenAI tools for work, although perhaps without due consideration of security measures. 

The results, collected from among 1,864 UK respondents, show that 25% of employees have already used generative AI tools in a work capacity. 

Among those workers using GenAI, 77% are keen to develop their skills for better use of GenAI tools, while 74% believe that being able to use these tools will help maintain their career relevance. Additionally 72% reported being excited about the opportunities GenAI could provide in their job.

Four fifths (82%) of employees who have used GenAI for work believe that within the next two years, the technology will likely make their current job easier, while 69% anticipate it will make their job more enjoyable.

These perceived benefits come at cost. The study found that about a third (31%) of UK employees access publicly available tools which haven’t been authorised by their employer, while only a fifth (22%) use in-house GenAI tools developed by their company or commissioned from developers.

Worryingly, nearly half (48%) say they regularly use free tools for their job.

Almost one in five GenAI users (17%) think that ‘a great deal’ of employees in the UK use it without their employer’s explicit approval, while 45% believe that ‘a fair amount’ of employees in the UK do this. 

When asked about the main reasons for this, 40% said they thought that employees do not see any risks in doing so, while 31% think employees doubt that the company can check anyway.

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Lorraine Barnes, Deloitte’s UK GenAI lead, said: “With employees paying for the privilege of using the latest GenAI tools off their own back, it’s clear that there is a need for organisations to invest in their own GenAI solutions.

“To create more accurate, reliable results and mitigate GenAI risks, organisations must prioritise ethical considerations, integrate them into the development process, conduct regular audits, and engage with stakeholders to gather diverse perspectives.

“The bottom line is – if organisations do not start building a strategy to use GenAI now, they risk falling behind their employees who will start building their own standards.” 

Research from KPMG UK recently found that business leaders are worried about the impact that GenAI could have on performance. Among the biggest concerns are the inaccuracy of results, including harmful AI hallucinations, underlying data errors skewing outputs, and a lack of in-house guidance on securely using GenAI tech.