Workers in Australia and around the world are expressing low levels of trust in their bosses’ ability to implement AI effectively, according to new research from Qualtrics.
Qualtrics says the findings also reveal differing views on the immediate benefits of the technology.
“To provide leaders with insights into the current state of AI adoption in the workplace and practical steps for navigating these changes effectively, Qualtrics analysed responses from more than 35,000 employees globally in the State of AI in Employee Experience report, including 2,040 in Australia.
“For organisations aiming to lift productivity, improve employee experience, and unlock the value of AI in 2025, the Qualtrics study identifies several key challenges to address. These include building greater trust in the workplace, reshaping perceptions and expectations of AI, and providing employees with the enablement and training they need.
Employees do not trust leaders to implement AI effectively
“Just 45% of Australian managers and individual contributors trust their leaders to implement AI effectively - 15 percentage points lower than the trust levels among senior leaders.
“Additionally, less than half (46%) of employees at the manager level or below believe their bosses will prioritise their wellbeing over profits when making decisions about new technologies - 15% lower than that of senior leaders.
“Only 34% of employees at manager-level or below says new technology is being deployed in the workplace with clear principles, ethics, and guidelines, compared to 53% of senior leaders.
“The AI disconnect between leaders and their teams is evident in perception of the technology’s impact on the nature of their jobs, with a 27-point gap in positive sentiment toward AI between senior leaders (56%) and employees at manager level or below (29%).”