Majority of UAE workers believe AI and data science will impact their jobs in five years

The UAE leads EMEA region in the leverage of data, data science and artificial intelligence (AI) for decision making and business growth, according to a report commissioned by Dataiku.

The survey was conducted by YouGov in early 2022 and involved 2,487 decision-makers from across France, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and the UAE. The UAE respondents were the most confident of data’s value in the workplace, with 84 per cent believing it is crucial, compared to 69 percent in the EMEA region.

The report also revealed that around 71 per cent of UAE respondents have been using more data over the past five years, which is much more than the EMEA average of just over half (55 per cent). Furthermore, compared to the EMEA average of 52 per cent, 71 per cent of UAE respondents predict they will use even more data in the next five years.

The survey also showed a marked awareness in UAE respondents of AI’s role in their jobs and within their organisations and sector in the coming years. A total of 66 per cent of UAE respondents believe AI and data science will impact their role in the next five years, an almost equal number (65 per cent) expect AI and data science to impact their company and 67 per cent expect AI and data science to have an impact on their industry in the next five years.

“We believe this a direct consequence of the government’s forward-looking position on these technologies,” said Sid Bhatia, regional vice president and general manager for the Middle East and Turkey, Dataiku. “We see this in its Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031; we see it in the federal government becoming the first to appoint a Minister of State for AI, and we see it in DIFC’s move to issue special AI licences. Our findings also highlight the widespread acknowledgement that enterprise AI is an organisational asset that will define the business of the future and the industries of the future.”

However, Bhatia also pointed out the gap in perception between managers and non-managers in the UAE when it comes to data utility and the role of AI. While 71 per cent of UAE managers say their use of data in daily work has increased over the past five years, and 73 per cent believe their use of data will increase over the next five years, only 44 per cent of non-managers say they have used more data over the past five years, and a mere third expect to use more over the next five years. Two thirds (67 per cent) of those in management positions believe AI and data science will impact their roles, but less than half (44 per cent) of non-managers believe the same.

“There is clearly a need to democratise the use of AI if it is to gain widespread acceptance as a tool of prosperity,” continued Bhatia. “It is only when all people within an organisation see AI as a partner in change that they will come together and collaborate. Then stakeholders can deliver the culture needed to build a digital business.”

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