A recent survey of UC ANR employees and affiliates on their use and perceptions of generative artificial intelligence, or GenAI, found that nearly 45% of the 298 UC ANR employees who responded currently use GenAI in their work, and an additional 20% plan to use it in the future.
GenAI is most commonly used for brainstorming, administrative tasks and communication, according to Steven Worker, 4-H youth development advisor for Marin County, who led the study.
“Fewer employees use GenAI for data analysis or image generation,” Worker said. “ChatGPT is the most widely used tool, rated at 7.3/10 for usefulness.”
Survey respondents expressed ethical concerns with AI’s accuracy, confidentiality and privacy, bias, lack of transparency and accountability, and environmental impact.
Although UC ANR employees anticipate GenAI will enhance efficiency, communication and information delivery, they expect it to negatively affect critical thinking, professional competency and teamwork. They identified automating administrative tasks, analyzing data and generating communication materials as key areas where GenAI could improve productivity.
Employees expressed a desire for guidance on use, best practices and disclosure of GenAI use in their work.
In addition to Worker, the research team included Vikram Koundinya, UCCE evaluation specialist at UC Davis; Andrew Lyons, program coordinator with the Informatics and GIS Statewide Program at UC Berkeley; Daniel Obrist, UC ANR vice provost; Kitty Oppliger, UCCE community nutrition and health advisor for the Central Sierra; Jennifer Smilowitz, UCCE nutrition specialist at UC Davis; and Katherine Soule, UCCE advisor for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
“We hope ANR leadership uses the report in various ways,” Worker said.
Read the full report, “UC ANR Employees’ Use and Perception of Generative Artificial Intelligence: Survey results from data collected October to December 2024” at https://ucdavis.box.com/s/p95elrvdlvsioyda35kkbwc8c3zzhhiq.
