Seven out of ten Belgians say they are open to the idea of a digital colleague
Although AI provokes mixed opinions in the workplace, Belgians are open, with some reservations, to the idea of having a digital colleague. Among them, 34% say they are positive and 8% are even enthusiastic.
Agentic AI is still a relatively new technology, which undoubtedly explains the wait-and-see attitude of many Belgians. However, 34% of respondents, or one in three, say they would already trust decisions made by AI agents in the workplace. The other respondents either do not trust them or are unsure what to think. A quarter would not accept AI agents as digital colleagues. These are the findings of a survey conducted by iVOX, on behalf of Salesforce, among 1,000 working Belgians.
Those in favor want to use the technology for a variety of applications. The majority (39%) would like to use AI agents as a source of knowledge capable of providing quick answers. A third of respondents (37%) see AI as a virtual assistant for routine tasks and administration, while 33% would use the technology for creative work. One in five Belgians (21%) would go even further, accepting AI as a data analyst for decision-making.
Opinions divided on the impact of AI
Opinions on the impact of AI are very divided. A quarter (24%) see the technology as an interesting and exciting opportunity, while another quarter (27%) see it as a worrying development. Many respondents are undecided: 24% believe that AI represents an opportunity, but without knowing where it will lead. Moreover, AI is not yet fully integrated into work routines: 23% consider it a “nice-to-have” tool, not essential to their work, while 11% already consider it indispensable.
About half of working Belgians believe that AI improves efficiency. This opinion is shared mainly by male and younger respondents. A quarter (23%) believe that AI has a positive impact on the labor market, while 48% think that the technology will lead to the disappearance of certain jobs. However, one in six respondents believe that AI will also contribute to the creation of new jobs.
Performing tasks does not mean losing control
Most working Belgians still expect the influence of AI agents to remain limited. Three in ten believe that AI agents will have no impact on their work, while 37% believe that AI will perform certain tasks without taking control away from them.
Some 15% expect a profound change in their job, while a small minority (4%) fear that their job will become redundant because of AI agents. The rest of the respondents (16%) have no idea what direction the evolution of AI agents might take.
