Nearly two-thirds of U.S. employees say businesses have a positive impact on people’s lives—small businesses especially so—but many are skeptical about employers using artificial intelligence responsibly, according to a new report from Gallup and Bentley University in Waltham, Mass.
First, the good news: Among 5,458 adults ages 18 and older in the U.S. surveyed in May, 63 percent said businesses have a positive impact on people’s lives. That’s an 8 percentage-point increase from 2022.
“That number has risen significantly, even as Americans’ faith in other institutions has fallen,” writes Bentley President E. LaBrent Chrite in the introduction to the second annual Business in Society Report. “I think the reason is clear: Positive margins and profitability necessitate community investment, stakeholder engagement and commonality.”
Research also found workers are more likely to give a thumbs-up to small businesses over big employers—85 percent versus 42 percent.
But businesses overall fall short in 12 areas ranging from engaging in sustainable operations to promoting inclusion, equity and diversity and reducing emissions and their carbon footprint, workers said.
For example, while 81 percent of workers said it’s extremely important businesses offer fair wages to all workers, only 30 percent think employers are good or excellent at it—it’s also one of the practices workers most want businesses to prioritize.
“Notably, Americans who identify a business practice as ‘extremely important’ are often significantly less likely to believe businesses are performing that practice well, compared with their peers who state the practice is less important,” the report says. “In other words, Americans who assign the greatest responsibility to businesses to do good are the least likely to believe they are doing so.”
Additionally, 82 percent of workers said it’s important to reduce the pay gap between CEOs and employees, but only 13 percent think employers do a good or excellent job of this.
Use of AI
Three-fourths of workers (75 percent) think using AI will decrease the number of jobs in the U.S. over the next decade—a concern especially high among adults ages 45 to 59 (79 percent), age 60 and older (80 percent) and those lacking a bachelor’s degree (80 percent). Additionally, 79 percent overall don’t trust businesses much or at all to use AI responsibly.
However, more than two-thirds (68 percent) said AI is better or as good as humans at customizing online content; 65 percent think AI is better or as good in recommending products or services, and 60 percent think it’s better or as good in assisting students with their studies.
Some population groups are more positive about AI’s effect; 70 percent of Asian American adults and 67 percent of Black American adults said AI does more good than harm—or equal amounts of good and harm. Hispanic and white adults are less positive (60 percent and 59 percent, respectively).
Younger workers are more optimistic about AI’s capabilities than older workers. As for using AI to make hiring recommendations, 69 percent of workers in general said AI would do a worse job than a human.
Taking a Stand
Less than half (41 percent) of respondents favor employers taking a stance on political issues, although workers who identify as Asian (61 percent), Black (61 percent), or Democrat (62 percent) and those ages 18 to 29 (53 percent) were more likely to want businesses to take a stance.
Among 11 major sociopolitical issues, workers were most supportive of businesses speaking out on climate change and mental health (55 percent and 52 percent, respectively). They are least supportive of employers taking a public stance on religion (15 percent), political candidates (19 percent) and abortion (26 percent).
Well-Being
A slim majority—52 percent—of respondents said businesses make an overall positive impact on well-being.
A majority (70 percent) of workers think a four-day, 40-hour workweek would increase employee well-being, along with limiting the amount of work they are expected to perform outside the workday and offering paid mental health days.
The report pointed to previous Gallup research that found 50 percent of U.S. employees are looking to leave their employer, and the main reasons include dissatisfaction with work/life balance and well-being.
Embracing practices that improve well-being, the new report noted, “is a potential avenue businesses can explore to improve their overall impact on society as well as increase employee retention.”