In Brief: A recent survey of 2,000 U.S. office workers using AI found that most believe showing courtesy to AI, such as saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you, ‘ improves results, with significant differences in attitudes and adoption between leadership and staff levels.
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Majority of Office Workers Use Polite Language with AI, Survey Finds – Image Credit Unsplash+
Survey Reveals Widespread Use of Polite Language with AI
A new survey conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by TripleTen examined how U.S. office workers interact with AI tools. The poll included 2,000 office workers who use AI in their daily tasks. Results showed that 86% of respondents use polite language, such as “please” and “thank you,” when interacting with AI. Of those, 27% reported using these phrases every time they use AI.
The survey also revealed that 64% of workers believe it is important to show common courtesy to AI systems. Respondents cited reasons ranging from the belief that politeness leads to better AI responses to concerns about maintaining personal habits of courtesy and even humorous references to future AI dominance.
Different Approaches to Interacting with AI
The study found that 41% of participants find it easier to treat AI as a tool, while 23% prefer to address AI as they would a human. Among those who see AI as a tool, 91% believe it is important to remain objective and direct. Conversely, 87% of those who interact with AI as if it were a person believe it can function as a personal assistant.
The survey also explored whether workers assign gender to AI chatbots. Three out of four who treat AI as human prefer to keep chatbots gender-neutral. Only a quarter assign a gender, with 14% choosing female and 11% male. Founders were the most likely to assign a feminine gender to AI at 23%.
Leadership vs. Staff: Adoption and Perceptions of AI
There are notable differences between leadership and staff regarding AI adoption and attitudes. Sixty percent of respondents identified as being in upper leadership roles. Among leaders, 73% observed a correlation between AI usage and increased employee productivity, with 92% reporting productivity gains. Additionally, 54% of leaders reported a link between AI use and improved staff morale, with 83% noting increased morale.
When it comes to embracing AI, 93% of C-suite executives are willing to use AI, compared to 70% of staff-level employees. Executives also report enjoying AI more frequently (71%) than staff (33%). Leadership is more likely to consider AI a future coworker, with 81% open to the idea compared to 39% of staff.
Leadership also places more importance on showing courtesy to AI, with 78% valuing politeness compared to 46% of staff. C-suite respondents are more likely to feel ahead of their coworkers in using AI (42%) than staff (12%).
Barriers to AI Adoption and Recommendations
The survey found that 83% of office workers have been encouraged by leadership to use AI at work. However, only 27% of staff-level workers reported being fully encouraged by employers, which may contribute to lower adoption rates among staff. Experts suggest that a lack of clear guidance and integration into daily work is a key barrier to consistent AI use.
Nsaku Toya, an AI and automation career coach, emphasized the need for organizations to provide structure and direction for AI adoption, rather than simply encouraging usage.
Common Workplace Uses for AI
Respondents identified several tasks where AI is most helpful in the workplace. The most common uses include:
- Summarizing documents 53%
- Brainstorming ideas 37%
- Writing emails 31%
- Parsing data 22%
- Coding/building applications for use 20%
- Scheduling agendas 19%
- Improving communication skills with colleagues 16%
- Building to-do lists 15%
- Advising on different interactions 12%
- Taking notes during calls 12%
- Sending reminders 11%
- Simulating client-facing interactions for training 8%
- Have human-like conversations 6%
- Reminders to take breaks 4%
- Taking entire calls on a person’s behalf 4%
- Gossiping 2%
Conclusion
The survey highlights that politeness is a common practice among office workers using AI, with many believing it leads to better results. Leadership is more likely than staff to see AI as a valuable tool and future coworker, and to encourage its use. However, a gap remains in support and guidance for staff-level employees, which organizations may need to address to ensure consistent and effective AI adoption.
