Nearly half of CEOs surveyed believe AI could — and should — replace them in their jobs.
A new survey found that nearly half of CEOs think AI technology could potentially replace “most” or even all aspects of their job roles, with 47 percent considering that to be a desirable outcome, according to a report by Yahoo! Finance.
The research was conducted by edX — an education platform for upskilling workers — and involved surveying more than 1,500 executives and knowledge workers.
OpenAI logo seen on screen with ChatGPT website displayed on mobile seen in this illustration in Brussels, Belgium, on December 12, 2022. (Photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The reason why executives believe AI replacing them would be a positive outcome is because they think the new technology could “rekindle the need for traditional leadership for those who remain,” the report explained.
“Success in the CEO role hinges on effective leadership, and AI can liberate time for this crucial aspect of their role,” Andy Morgan, Head of edX for Business, reportedly said of the survey’s findings.
“CEOs understand that time saved on routine tasks can stimulate innovation, nurture creativity, and facilitate essential upskilling for their teams, fostering both individual and organizational success,” Morgan added.
The edX executive went on to say that he suspects CEOs are already delegating routine tasks to AI technology — Bard, ChatGPT, and Bing — in order to make more time for other things they are handling at the top level of their companies, especially given that many CEOs are constantly faced with tight schedules.
Over the summer, experts told Fortune that it may not be long before AI has the ability to take on more complex responsibilities from CEOs. But Morgan said he doesn’t believe AI will be replacing CEOs anytime soon.
“CEOs aren’t going anywhere,” he told Fortune. “We’ll continue to see the relevance and necessity of human skills in the workplace — critical thinking, creativity, and leadership — that are foundational to the CEO role and that artificial intelligence simply can’t replace.”
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