Hundreds of UK chief executives believe that artificial intelligence (AI) could steal their job, underlining widespread fears over the technology’s potential to shake up traditional working models.

Nearly half of CEOs said they felt that their job could be at risk due to AI technology, according to a major new study from AND Digital.

Additionally, three quarters of CEOs have launched Artificial Intelligence (AI) training bootcamps this year, to help themselves and their staff stay on top of the latest tech trends.

The findings were revealed in The CEO Digital Divide: are you accelerating enterprise value or slowing it down? report, which surveyed 600 global CEOs and was conducted by independent research company Censuswide.

A worrying 44 percent of CEOs polled said they feel their staff aren’t ready to handle AI adoption amid rapid global developments.

AI amplifies the dilemma confronting CEOs, with one-third opting to ban AI tools like ChatGPT within their organisations. However, 45 percent admitted to secretly utilising AI tools, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, to fulfil their job responsibilities, often passing off the work as their own.

Ironically, given the widespread secret use of AI technology, ethical considerations in AI adoption also emerged as a critical concern, with 68 per cent prioritising it as a top issue.

Stephen Paterson, Chief for Technology and People at AND Digital commented: “CEOs cannot afford to be complacent when it comes to AI. Neither can they allow a culture of fear and distrust surrounding new technologies to gain a foothold, so reskilling people and teams across all departments to the highest standards should be an absolute top priority.

“It is important for business leaders to establish a well-designed framework around AI in order to maximise value and mitigate risks, empowering people with the guidance and resources to innovate safely. Failure to do so will leave them falling behind the competition and falling behind peers who do possess the AI skills to lead the new wave of tech innovation.”

“Ultimately, CEOs must embrace the ‘AND’ mindset, rather than the ‘OR’, when it comes to embracing new technology. This involves adopting juxtaposed concepts of speed AND security, small AND scale, as well as legacy AND innovation in order to unlock the full potential of technology investments.”

The news comes amid the UK and US forming a new partnership to ensure the safety of AI amid concerns about its future versions. The collaboration aims to jointly develop advanced testing for AI models and share information on AI capabilities and risks.