Hello, Memo readers!
Workers in office jobs aren’t getting the AI training that’s essential for them to keep up with a changing labor market.
A new report from software giant Salesforce found that about 70% of desk workers said they haven’t received generative AI training. Only 21% of respondents said their companies have clearly articulated policies around approved AI tools and use cases. And 62% think they don’t have the skills to effectively use the technology, according to a series of anonymous surveys in the Salesforce report.
But that hasn’t stopped workers from trying. The report found that “workers aren’t waiting for permission to use AI” and going rogue instead. Some 55% of survey respondents reported using tools that aren’t approved for their workplace, and 40% said they’ve used AI tools explicitly banned by their employers.
“Workers aren’t waiting for their employers to define protocols around the use of generative AI,” said the report. “Instead, many are diving right in, despite the absence of policies and approved tools, introducing a new wave of shadow IT that introduces data security and ethical questions.”
The CEO of Salesforce AI, Clara Shih, wrote in the report that “the unprecedented pace of change in AI requires companies to upskill their entire workforce.” She added, “This is not a ‘one-and-done’ exercise, but rather a continuous cycle of learning as AI evolves.”
Walmart’s surprise relocation ultimatum
Walmart’s Zoom call in May was anything but routine for the roughly 300 employees who learned they would need to relocate or lose their jobs.
Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the situation that were on the call but not allowed to speak during it, said they were told during the meeting that Walmart would start requiring thousands of workers from its smaller offices and remote locations to move to one of its main office hubs or consider their jobs gone.
Walmart plans to begin laying off employees that have not relocated this week. Quartz’s Francisco Velasquez has the latest.
More from Quartz
🛫 Delta gives employees free flights for dealing with the CrowdStrike outage
🛬 Boeing finally picked its new CEO
🍎 Berkshire Hathaway sold half of its Apple stock
🤖 The EU’s AI Act is now in effect. Here’s what you need to know
You got the Memo
Send questions, comments, and free flights to talk@qz.com. This edition of The Memo was written by Laura Bratton, Francisco Velasquez, and Morgan Haefner.
