AI boosts business in ANZ, but staff anxiety & skill gaps grow
A recent study of organisations in Australia and New Zealand has found that while artificial intelligence is widely regarded as essential for business success, its rapid adoption is generating notable anxiety among employees.
The research, commissioned by ManageEngine and conducted by Telsyte, surveyed over 300 IT decision-makers and professionals across both small-to-medium businesses and large enterprises in the region.
Competing attitudes
According to the report, nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of respondents believe that organisations cannot afford to ignore AI as it becomes increasingly integral to business strategy and competitiveness. Despite this, more than half (57 per cent) confessed to feeling uneasy about implementing AI in their operations, citing uncertainties surrounding required skills, available resources, and its long-term implications.
Respondents identified several advantages of AI, with 49 per cent highlighting improved efficiency, 48 per cent better customer experience, 44 per cent enhanced cybersecurity, and 42 per cent citing cost reduction as key benefits. Nevertheless, these opportunities are also paired with greater concerns about workforce stability and the pace of technological change.
Workforce pressure
The study found that the impact of these changes is already noticeable in the workplace. More than half (59 per cent) of those surveyed reported feeling frequent stress over keeping pace with AI's advancement, while a similar proportion said it had reduced their sense of job security.
Significantly, 34 per cent of respondents indicated that this pressure has made them less willing to adopt new technologies, although a substantial 76 per cent acknowledged the clear benefits of utilising AI at work.
Organisational response
Seventy per cent of respondents believe their organisations have worked effectively to address employee stress related to AI. However, concerns remain about the sufficiency of these efforts. Nearly half (43 per cent) indicated a need for a more comprehensive strategy for managing AI's impact, with 52 per cent calling for additional training, resources, and communication.
Similarly, 51 per cent of participants advocated for stronger ethical guidelines and increased human oversight in the deployment of AI applications.
"The AI adoption is clearly underway across Australia and New Zealand, said Rajesh Ganesan CEO at ManageEngine. While it is encouraging to see organisations already have good adoption of AI, it is both surprising and concerning to see the skill gap being the biggest barrier to fully leveraging AI. Organisations must invest in that area to not only see the RoI but also to ensure it does not open backdoors and additional vectors for attacks. Simply deploying AI is not enough anymore—organisations must consider implementing AI in a manner that supports outcomes that are employee centric."
Implementation and skills
The survey revealed that large enterprises in Australia and New Zealand are slightly ahead in AI adoption, with 95 per cent implementation compared to 89 per cent among small-to-medium businesses. However, a pronounced skills gap remains, as 97 per cent of respondents stated they lacked some form of AI competency, particularly in areas such as integrations, machine learning, and model training.
Three-quarters of ICT professionals and leaders reported confidence in their organisation's frameworks to ensure the ethical use of AI, yet the survey points to an ongoing need for both continuous upskilling and the reinforcement of ethical standards as deployments grow.
The report underlines that as organisations in the region continue to integrate AI into their operations, it is essential for approaches to be employee-centric—balancing the benefits of technological progress with the need to support workforce stability and development.
