By Márcia Costa, Manager, Centre for Health Solutions

GenAI is poised to change the future of work, by automating tasks, but also in unlocking flexibility, creativity and innovation. As we identified in our Accelerating the future: Life Sciences and healthcare predictions 2030 report, GenAI offers a range of opportunities to enhance the activities of most life sciences and healthcare (LSHC) employees. In October 2024, Deloitte published European trust in gen AI based on a survey of 30,252 consumers and employees on the current use and potential impact of these tools. A subset of questions addressed employees use of GenAI in the workplace, including 1,741 respondents from LSHC industries. This weeks’ blog explores how LSHC employees in Europe are using GenAI tools in their workplace (with or without their company’s approval), their expectations as to how these tools might make their work more enjoyable and productive, and the current lack of access, guidance and training that risks undermining the use of, and trust in, these tools.

The European GenAI market is growing rapidly, with rising investments approaching US$47.6 billion in value during 2024 and a surge in startups, particularly in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. While this offers immense opportunities, companies face significant challenges to ensure people feel comfortable with the technology. Trust, a cornerstone of widespread acceptance, is particularly crucial with the future of GenAI dependant on closing the trust gap between organisations, consumers, and the employees who will need to use these tools.ⁱ

Between 28 June and 12 August 2024, Deloitte surveyed 30,252 European consumers and employees in 11 countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the UK). Employees also responded to an additional subset of questions, specifically addressing their use of GenAI in the workplace (1,714 from the life sciences and healthcare industry, 59 per cent worked in companies with 250 employees or more, and 70 per cent worked in non-management positions; 71 per cent of LSHC respondents were women (compared to 50 per cent overall) and 55 per cent were graduates compared to 66 per cent overall).

Employees expect GenAI will improve their jobs

The survey found that most LSHC employees are optimistic about the use of GenAI tools for work purposes, with 74 per cent overall (72 per cent in LSHC) agreeing they want to develop their skills to use GenAI tools in their jobs. LSHC employees see the main benefit of GenAI tools is in improving their creativity, with 41 per cent citing the benefits as ‘providing ideas and information that I wouldn’t think of otherwise’. This response is higher than the overall responses (35 per cent) but fewer employees thought it would help improve the quality of work (see Figure 1). In line with other industries, many employees also see opportunities to complete tasks faster, and help them with tasks they are not good at doing.

Figure 1. Perceived creativity and productivity benefits of the use of GenAI tools for work purposes

Source: Deloitte analysis. Question: Which two or three of the following, if any, do you personally think are benefits of using Generative AI tools for work purposes?

Given the perceived benefits of GenAI tools, the majority of LSHC employees feel excited about the opportunities they could provide on their jobs (69 per cent) and expect them to make their job easier (76 per cent) and more enjoyable (66 per cent). Nevertheless, this optimism is lower than that of employees from industries such as technology and media (76 per cent of employees are excited about the opportunities brought by GenAI, 84 per cent consider GenAI will make their job easier and 80 per cent more enjoyable).

Despite employees in LSHC expecting to reap the creativity and productivity benefits of GenAI tools, their perception of the impact of GenAI on their job in the next two years is mixed: 44 per cent expect that GenAI will replace part of their job, 48 per cent think GenAI will have no impact at all and only 29 per cent think it will replace their current role entirely. However, only 43 per cent of employees in the LSHC industry believes their company is being transparent about the impact of GenAI on their role, compared to 51 per cent of their European counterparts. If employees are to trust GenAI tools, it is crucial for companies to increase their transparency on the disruptive power of these tools.

Who is responsible for training and upskilling?

Given the positive outlook and expectation for how GenAI could support employees and its potential to disrupt the future of work, a robust training and development programme is crucial to maximise GenAI’s potential and minimise the risks. This should cover the integration of GenAI into workflows and its ethical, responsible use. However, the survey results overall show that fewer than half of employees using GenAI have received adequate training in these areas (46 and 44 per cent respectively overall).ⁱⁱ Even fewer LSHC employees, 36 and 44 per cent respectively, have received this training (see Figure 2). This highlights the need for further investment in employee development. Likewise, only 40 per cent received technical training, which might result in an inefficient use of these tools, disenchantment regarding their benefits and a failure to realise the expected return on investment.  

Figure 2. Types of GenAI training currently provided by LSHC companies

Source: Deloitte analysis. Question: Which, if any, of the following types of training does your company provide for employees who use Generative AI tools for work purposes?

But are companies encouraging the use these tools?

The rapid adoption of GenAI is creating a governance gap in many organisations. The survey results show that 30 per cent of LSHC employees say their companies do not have a policy or guidance on use of GenAI for work purposes, and currently, only 29 per cent of companies encourages its use (see Figure 3). Moreover, LSHC companies are much less likely to encourage the use than other industries, with 58 per cent of technology and media employees, 36 per cent of government and public services employees and 43 per cent of consumer industry employees saying their companies encourage the use of GenAI tools.

Figure 3. Less than one-third on LSHC companies encourages the use of GenAI tools for work purposes

Source: Deloitte analysis. Question: Thinking about the use of Gen AI tools for work purposes, which, if any, of the following statements applies to your company about the use of Generative AI tools for work purposes?

However, this is not stopping employees from using GenAI. The survey asked employees in LSHC who were using GenAI if, in their opinion, the use of these tools in their country for work purposes was without the companies’ approval, and worryingly almost half of respondents believed this was the case. Reasons for this unapproved use of GenAI tools were because GenAI helped them in their jobs (49 per cent), not seeing any risks in using these tools (37 per cent) and believing their employers cannot check whether they are using these tools (33 per cent). These results reinforce the positive perception employees have on the benefits GenAI can have for their job, but also that they underestimate the risks of using these tools. This is in line with previous Deloitte’s research that showed that 36 per cent of users of GenAI tend to agree that it always produces factually accurate and/or unbiased responses.ⁱⁱⁱ Therefore, investing in GenAI training and having clear governance arrangements in place is critical in ensuring the successful implementation and use of these tools.

So which tools are employees using?

The majority of LSHC respondents (56 per cent) say they are usings GenAI tools owned by another company that are free to use; only 26 per cent use tools with an account paid by their organisation. However, 20 per cent access tools through an account that they pay for themselves and only 15 per cent are using an ‘in-house’ tool which their company developed or paid a third party to develop.  This raises significant concerns as unapproved tools may not adhere to the same data security and privacy standards as vetted ones, potentially exposing confidential company information and violating client confidentiality. Furthermore, these tools may lack proper guardrails and controls, leading to unreliable or inaccurate outputs, flawed decision-making, and reputational damage. For companies to avoid the misuse of GenAI tools in such highly regulated industries such as LSHC, it is paramount that alongside training, clear guidance and secure tools are provided to ensure compliance and cyber resilience. One thing is clear: Simply forbidding the use of these tools without providing a viable alternative is unlikely to be a winning strategy.

Conclusion

GenAI can present a pivotal opportunity to increase the productivity in the LSHC industry. To fully harness its transformative power, employers need to move beyond simply acknowledging GenAI's potential and take proactive steps to empower their workforce through robust training, transparent communication, and the provision of secure, approved tools. By addressing the current disconnect between expectation and implementation, LSHC companies can unlock a future where GenAI becomes a trusted ally, driving innovation and positive change across the healthcare landscape.

Márcia Costa - Manager, Centre for Health Solutions

Márcia is the research manager for healthcare in the Centre for Health Solutions, providing support and expertise to develop solutions to overcome today’s healthcare challenges. Working with the team, Márcia develops insights based on rigorous data analysis to improve outcomes for patients and increase health systems efficiencies. Originally from Portugal, Márcia has an MSc in biomedical engineering and biophysics and a PhD in cancer research. Márcia has previously worked in publishing for an oncology journal in London. Márcia is passionate about health equity.

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¹ https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/digital-transformation/trust-in-generative-ai-in-europe.html

² Ibid

³ Digital Consumer Trends 2024