According to a study by Oracle, around more than half of the people in the UAE said artificial intelligence-powered bots would do more sustainable jobs than humans.

People in the Emirates were worried about whether their businesses followed environmental and social rules. Almost 99 per cent said that sustainability and social issues are more important than ever, compared to 93 per cent in the rest of the world.

97% of the people who took the survey said that society has not made enough progress because they were too busy with other things, put short-term profits ahead of long-term benefits, or were too lazy or selfish to help save the earth.

UAE respondents say that artificial intelligence would help businesses make more progress toward meeting their ESG goals, and 74% say that bots will succeed where humans have failed.

Juergen Lindner, a senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Oracle, said: "Business leaders understand the importance, yet often have the erroneous assumption that they need to prioritise either profits or sustainability."

“The truth is this is not a zero-sum game. The technology that can eliminate all the obstacles to ESG efforts is now available, and organisations that get this right cannot only support their communities and the environment, but also realise significant revenue gains, cost savings and other benefits that impact the bottom line.”

Bots (short for internet bot) are programmes that replicate human activity by completing tasks automatically without specific instructions or simulating human interaction, such as the voice assistants that greet call centre customers.

In 2020, the global market for bot services was worth $537 million. By 2030, it is expected to be worth $7.8 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of about 31% from 2021 to 2030.

Bots, on the other hand, have a poor connotation because of their misuse and participation in the spread of misinformation, which regulators and companies are struggling to control.

According to a Barracuda 2021 study, they accounted for nearly two-thirds of all internet traffic from January to June of last year, with bad bots having a 39 percent advantage.

The Oracle report says that businesses in the UAE are notdoing enough to be more environmentally friendly, but 95% of business leaders think that ESG programmes are important for their companies to be successful.

According to these executives, the top three benefits are enhancing the brand (40%), improving productivity (50%) and recruiting new customers (44%).

People are also eager to cut ties with companies that do not follow through on their ESG commitments.

In the UAE, four out of five people say they are willing to end their association with a company that does not prioritise ESG, while nearly the same number are willing to quit their current employment in search of one that does.

70% of those polled said they would end their relationship with a brand, and 69% said they would look for a new job.

Pamela Rucker, an adviser and instructor at Harvard Professional Development, said: "The results show that people are more likely to do business with and work for organisations that act responsibly towards our society and the environment. This is an opportune moment. While thinking has evolved, technology has as well, and it can play a key role in overcoming many of the obstacles that have held progress back."