A new study by Salesforce reveals that more than a third of Spanish workers (39%) believe that mastering generative artificial intelligence (AI) will help them get a promotion at work. However, the report also warns that the lack of clearly defined policies around the use of this technology may be putting companies at risk.

According to the study, 61% of Spanish workers claim to have used generative AI tools that are not formally approved by their company, and up to 33% have used them despite being expressly prohibited. Many of these employees turn to the new technology without any training, guidance, or approval from their company.

The report, titled ‘The Promises and Difficulties of Generative AI at Work’, compiles the opinions of more than 14,000 workers from fourteen countries, including Spain. It points out that company policies and training around generative AI are not clearly defined or, at best, ambiguous. Despite this, workers recognize the importance of this technology in advancing their careers, with 74% of those who use it saying it makes them more productive.

However, the lack of training and defined policies has led users to perform ethically questionable activities at work when using generative AI. For example, some employees have been known to pass off AI work as their own or inflate their skills when presenting projects to management. The report also highlights that 86% of Spanish workers believe there are barriers to using generative AI at work.

To address these issues, the report emphasizes the need for companies to invest in safe, ethical, and reliable generative AI tools and to train their employees on the safe and ethical use of AI. The study concludes that while companies must adopt generative AI if they want to stay competitive in today’s business landscape