8×8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT), a leading business communications, CX and CPaaS platform provider, today revealed findings that AI has become the leading priority for IT and customer experience (CX) leaders dealing with the future of work and the changing workplace over the next six years.
The new report, Future of Work: 2030 Vision Report, surveyed the opinions of over 400 IT and CX leaders from organisations around the globe. It looks into the projected makeup of the global workforce in 2030, organisations’ technological priorities between now and then, and the current and future challenges they may face.
Commenting on the report, Jamie Snaddon, EMEA Managing Director at 8×8, said: “Two years after the previous report, we can see distinct shifts in attitudes as AI has exploded. Across regions priorities and concerns vary too. The UK is leading the way on single-vendor cloud environments and is the most prepared for the multifaceted and complex challenges the future of work presents. It is, however, the most pessimistic about AI replacing human jobs.”
The rise of AI
AI has swiftly risen through the ranks of UK business leaders’ priorities to be the joint first tech priority (65%) alongside cloud communications (65%). This stands in stark contrast to the priorities in the US where cloud communications is seventh (37%).
When it comes to the future of CX employee experience (EX), UK leaders rank AI (88%), big data (85%), and cloud communications (82%) as the most impactful.
UK leaders are also the most cynical regarding AI taking human jobs. Sixty-eight per cent believe AI will take more jobs than it creates and only 20% think AI will be a net job creator. The global average is 57% and 27% respectively.
UK leads on single-platform cloud comms
Only 12% of UK organisation’s communications and contact centres remain on-premises. Two years ago, the global average was over two-fifths (42%).
The UK is leading the way in adopting single-vendor cloud-only environments. Twenty-four per cent of firms have fully migrated and consolidated, whereas the global average is 15%. Still, almost two-fifths globally (39%) say they plan to soon follow the UK’s lead.
Five-day working week is now minority opinion the majority favours four or less
Sixty-four per cent of UK IT and CX leaders think that by 2030 the average number of days a full-time employee will need to work is either three (33%) or four (31%). Only 20% see a continuation of the current five-day week.
Hybrid working will continue to be the norm (68%), and in this environment, UK leaders expect video meetings (66%) to be the number one communication tool they’ll use – as do all other regions (69%). The UK, however, places the use of virtual reality (61%) much higher than other regions (50%).
UK leaders believe they are well prepared for challenges ahead
Globally, IT leaders’ top three challenges and their preparedness for them are cybersecurity (68%), digital transformation (60%), and digital disruption (60%). For each, the UK is 10% above the average for preparedness, with 78%, 70%, and 69% respectively.
The UK is also above the average for preparedness for the top three CX leaders’ challenges, which are retaining talent (65%), adapting to customer expectations (75%), and reducing operational costs (62%). For all three, the global average is 60%.
Demonstrating its preparedness, 78% of business leaders report that they have a defined strategy in place for the future of work. This is much higher compared to North America, where 67% of US and only 48% of Canadian business leaders have a defined future of work strategy in place.
To view the Future of Work: 2030 Vision Report go to https://www.8×8.com/docs/future-of-work-report
About 8×8 Inc.
8×8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT) is transforming the future of business communications as a leading Software as a Service provider of 8×8 XCaaS (Experience Communications as a Service), an integrated contact centre, voice communications, video, chat, and SMS solution built on one global cloud communications platform. 8×8 uniquely eliminates the silos between Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) to power the communications requirements of all employees globally as they work together to deliver differentiated customer experiences.
8×8®, 8×8 XCaaS, Experience Communications as a Service are trademarks of 8×8, Inc.
The post Sixty-five per cent of UK organisations are prioritising AI as five-day work week becomes minority view amidst AI replacement anxiety, reveals new research from 8×8 first appeared on HR News.