Technology

DGHR’s report finds 94% employees are optimistic about gen AI, but 40% still clueless about ethical usage

By Anjum Khan

Generative Artificial Intelligence in the public sector has been welcomed with open arms, with a striking 94 percent of Dubai Government workers showing optimism about its impact on government operations. 

The findings shared in a report titled ‘Generative AI Adoption Amongst Dubai Government Employees’ which was launched during Dubai AI Week 2025 by the Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR), in collaboration with the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG). 

The report shared key insights on how generative AI is being used in the government sector—its impact, opportunities, and the concerns that come with it. It included responses from over 1,500 employees, from senior leaders to frontline workers, across 34 government entities in Dubai. Chief AI Officers from leading agencies also contributed by analysing which tasks are most likely to be automated or supported by AI, and what employee traits make someone more likely to be affected.

Additional key insights from DGHR’s report are

Gen AI Adoption & Impact: 64% of participants said they’re using generative AI at an intermediate or advanced level. Among these users, a huge 97% agreed that Gen AI brings real benefits to their work—like saving time, boosting productivity, improving quality, and sparking creativity.

How Gen AI is being used: Most people are using Gen AI for everyday tasks like drafting emails, creating content, and supporting research. More advanced users are exploring it for a wider range of complex tasks, showing just how versatile these tools can be.

Challenges & Concerns: Of course, adoption isn’t without its challenges. Key concerns include inaccurate outputs, data privacy, bias, and unreliable performance. While 83% of users believe ethical usage guidelines would be helpful, 4 in 10 admit they don’t yet understand what ethical Gen AI use looks like at work.

Job threats: Around 55% of employees expressed concern about Gen AI replacing jobs—though this worry is more common among junior or lower-education employees. Interestingly, employees with higher education levels reported fewer fears, suggesting that targeted training could help reduce anxiety and build confidence in using these tools. 

So, employee's education level and type of education is a strong predictor of how exposed their job will be to gen AI. Also, those with qualitative backgrounds (like humanities or social sciences) are more exposed and threatened than those with quantitative backgrounds (like engineering, math, or data science).

Speaking on the report findings, H.E Abdulla Ali Bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director-General of the DGHR Department, said: "Empowering government employees to engage with generative artificial intelligence is in line with the vision of our wise leadership and supports our strategic direction toward building a proactive, smart government—one that is flexible, forward-looking, and capable of transforming challenges into opportunities. This reinforces Dubai’s leading role in shaping the future of government work."

"This initiative also affirms that our human capital is well-equipped, efficient, and confident to keep pace with global transformations. At the DGHR Department, we have developed a clear roadmap to enhance the readiness of government human resources. This roadmap prioritises the development of digital skills, fostering a culture of innovation, and creating a flexible and supportive environment for the integration and effective use of generative AI tools."

He also emphasised that these findings are a great source of practical reference to design proactive policies, specialised training programmes, and updating work systems, in line with the rapid AI advancements. "We firmly believe in the importance of establishing an integrated system for AI governance within the government work environment—one that ensures the ethical and effective use of these technologies, enhances institutional efficiency, and upholds the fundamental principles of privacy and reliability," he concluded.

H.E. Dr. Ali bin Sebaa Al Marri, MBRSG’s Executive President, added: “As part of its mandate to equip and empower government leaders, the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government remains committed to providing reliable data and resources to inform decision and policymaking across government departments.”

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“With its research capabilities, the MBRSG has become a leading center for the future of government research, capacity building and public policy consulting. With that in mind, our dedicated AI governance policy research team (members) are once again leading the way, in collaboration with our partners at the DGHR Department, with a new report that focuses on generative artificial intelligence– a breakthrough that is quickly transforming entire industries, including the government sector. The conclusions drawn from this study will be essential in formulating policies that support innovation while ensuring adoption of AI advancements in an inclusive, safe, and ethically guided manner.”

Strategic Recommendations

MBRSG also suggested some of the strategic implementation for the concerns and challenges in Gen AI adoption:

  1. Introduce comprehensive generative AI training for government staff—from basic awareness to advanced governance and ethical evaluation.
  2. Develop a skills taxonomy tailored to public sector AI needs, and regularly update it as technologies and use cases evolve.
  3. Promote a collaborative approach to data—where Dubai government entities share data, expertise, and tools to maximise AI’s potential.
  4. Emphasise ethical governance frameworks to prevent misuse, especially in areas like data privacy, bias, and quality control.
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