According to a Randstad report, Belgian employees with disabilities use AI more than their colleagues without disabilities. Employers should also focus more on AI training in the workplace.

Belgian employees with a (mild) disability use artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace significantly more often than their colleagues without disabilities. This is according to the latest Randstad report. More than half of these employees use AI to solve work-related problems. However, there is often a lack of training opportunities, which can cost companies talent.

The study was published in conjunction with the International Day of People with Disabilities (December 3). 1,200 Belgian employees took part in the study, including 200 employees with mild to severe disabilities.

AI as a tool

The Randstad report shows that 54 percent of Belgian workers with disabilities use AI to solve problems in the workplace. For their colleagues without disabilities it is only 34 percent. Additionally, nearly half (49 percent) of employees with disabilities use AI for work at least weekly, compared to 32 percent of their colleagues.

AI is used by this group for a variety of tasks, such as completing administrative and non-administrative work more quickly. Examples include writing or translating emails and scheduling meetings. AI also offers solutions that remove barriers, such as real-time captions for the hearing impaired or image recognition for the visually impaired.

Wim Van der Linden, spokesman for Randstad, emphasizes the supporting role of AI: “AI can reduce barriers to accessibility and provide added value for employees with disabilities.”

Lack of AI training

Despite the benefits, employees with disabilities also face obstacles. For example, 57 percent of them need to take AI training themselves to improve their skills, compared to 37 percent of their colleagues without disabilities. The lack of training opportunities has consequences: a third of employees with disabilities will consider changing jobs if their employer does not offer AI training.

Belgian companies generally offer little AI training. Only 31 percent of Belgian workers have access to such training, which is below the global average of 35 percent. Older workers in particular (18 percent) have limited access to AI training, while younger colleagues (41 percent) have more options.

Finally, international figures show that emerging countries such as India and Brazil are further ahead when it comes to the use of AI in the workplace. Belgian companies perform relatively poorly here, indicating a potential long-term competitive disadvantage.