Grammarly-Harris Poll Study encourages businesses to not be left behind in implementing generative AI
As generative AI spreads across business sectors, inclusive of small and large businesses, management and workers are seeing its value in their daily work. Now Grammarly, the popular AI writing assistance company, has released its third annual study, titled “State of Business Communication: AI’s Potential to Turn Overload Into Impact”, providing insight into how AI can substantially improve a company’s communication, efficiency, and performance.
In partnership with The Harris Poll, the report assesses the impact of AI on both large and small businesses, uncovering solutions and challenges it brings to poor communication within U.S. businesses. The Report estimated that generative AI saves approximately $1.6 trillion in U.S. communication productivity annually.
The enormous savings attributed to generative AI were the result of a poll of 1,002 knowledge workers whose time during their business day is predominantly spent thinking. This segment includes doctors, lawyers, engineers, and editors, among others, as well as 253 business leaders. Those participating in the survey were contacted from September 29, 2023, to October 3, 2023.
“The data is clear that generative AI offers monumental benefits, but can also add more distractions at a time when teams need ways to communicate better, not add more to the mix. Our report should be a wake-up call for businesses to stop with the piecemeal approaches, get aligned with their employees, and hone a clear strategy that empowers their entire workforce with AI if they are to realize its impact,” says Matt Rosenberg, Grammarly Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Grammarly Business.
Report’s key findings about generative AI and small business communication
The Report revealed very significant productivity benefits to companies using generative AI. In addition, it revealed that workers want their companies to embrace generative AI, while more than half do not know how to use it at all.
Knowledge workers spend nearly half of their workweek on writing tasks (19.08 hours) with 84% of those workers using generative AI at least weekly, 77% report it makes them better at their job, 71% say it has changed how they communicate at work and 66% say it enhances their work and will not replace them.
On the leadership side, 92% of leaders see it is already delivering business results through increased efficiency (52%), higher productivity (50%), saved costs (38%), and higher customer engagement (37%).
In quantifying the benefits of generative AI, the study concluded that both leaders and workers are seeing early benefits from using generative AI which includes saving one day per workweek. This adds up to around $16,455 per worker per year.
On the downside, 58% of workers feel their companies should be more open to using AI and 52% don’t know how to use AI well (52%).
Report Reveals Ongoing Communication Challenges
The Report’s survey identified a range of communication challenges experienced by businesses.
- Leaders are not yet appreciating the full impact of poor communication on their businesses. A 24% point gap exists between workers’ (63%) and leaders’ (87%) as to the perceived effectiveness of their organization’s overall communication
- Communication overload is occurring with most leaders and workers reporting that constant work notifications are challenging (56%), they struggle to manage all of the communications they receive (54%), and they devote too much time working to get messages across in the right way (55%).
- Leaders and workers are not in agreement as to the use of AI with 89% of leaders report using generative AI for professional purposes, but only 53% of workers say the same.
Whether a large or small business, stronger communication brought about by the use of generative AI is bringing greater productivity that is of great competitive value. The digital economy continues to bring to small companies innovative technology that in the past was solely dedicated to large companies.
In summary, for those companies not integrating AI into the workforce to improve communication, their competitors are gaining an edge that cannot be ignored.
Learn more How Generative AI is bringing a range of Benefits to Small Businesses
