Most of them believe that the leaps and bounds in this field will help them to do their jobs effectively, but a quarter of workers already fear learning machines at work, according to a Profession.hu survey.

Profession.hu surveyed workers in Hungary on the use of artificial intelligence. The vast majority of those who have already used it have used ChatGPT. This chatbot is used more by men than women (14% compared to 8% of women) and more by young people: a quarter of 18-29-year-olds have used it, compared to only around 5% of those aged 40+. ChatGPT use also increases with educational level: 4% of those with primary education, 11% of those with secondary education and 17% of those with tertiary education have used it.

AI Seen as Help

Some 40% of the surveyed believe that AI could make everyday tasks more efficient, with higher than average proportions of men (45%), 18-29 year olds (54%), and those with higher education (50%) thikning this way. About 9% of respondents are of the opposite opinion, with the remainder more undecided.

A quarter of respondents consider that AI would make it easier to do their job, but this figure is as high as 40% for the youngest group of workers. Some 16% think it would not make it easier, and the same proportion think it would have no effect.

However, nearly a quarter of respondents (23%) are concerned about the issue and have reservations about how AI or machine learning could affect their work. Young people and those with tertiary education lead not only in usage but also in critical attitudes, with one in three people in these groups concerned that their work could be affected by the spread of AI.

"It is already apparent that artificial intelligence is becoming more and more integrated into work processes, but on the basis of current knowledge, despite concerns, it is not really a replacement for human labor, but a complement to it. So rather than replacing the job itself at the expense of the human, technology is taking over sub-tasks, freeing up the capacity for workers to engage in more creative tasks rather than monotonous and often repetitive ones. In other words, by using AI, companies can achieve efficiency in the long term, saving valuable time and creating more interesting tasks for employees," explains Imre Tüzes, business development director at Profession.hu. 

AI Helping Jobseekers

According to the survey, some 4% of employees have used AI to write their cover letter, but six times as many can imagine trying it out. Some 8% have used software to write a CV and 3% have used AI as a consultant when looking for a job. Overall, however, more than half of people (53%) are dismissive of these solutions.

Almost half of the respondents (43%) are actively looking for a job or at least open to an offer, and 6% have encountered AI filtering while looking for a job. One in three respondents think that AI will be effective in their job search – a view that is also over-represented among men and under-30s and those with a higher education than other groups. A large proportion of people is uncertain on this question,as  a further 28% are unable to judge its impact. 15% say AI is definitely not effective in job search.

A quarter of people (26%) have some concerns or doubts about AI in selecting candidates – mainly women, under 30s and those with a higher education, and those from Budapest. The main fear of workers is the loss of subjective judgment, empathy, sympathy, personal impressions, and dehumanization.