AI has had an immense impact on how organizations operate in modern times due to its ability to automate repetitive processes and produce insight at an unprecedented rate. However, as discussions surrounding AI evolve over time; there has been a consistent theme, which is the idea of competition between AI and humans. When framed that way, it implies the two can compete against one another with technology replacing people. But there is no future of work where either AI or human talent will exist only separately. Instead, the future of work will be about leveraging the best of both talents to create a thriving workplace. The organizations that will succeed in the next ten years will be those who view AI as a collaborative partner versus as a replacement for human capabilities. The future is made up of environments where humans collaborate with AI to spur new ideas, production, and growth.
Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Country Head India
Dexian
Moving Away from the Replacement Narrative
The fear around job elimination due to AI is valid; however, this has been true with all forms of technology throughout history as technological advancements change entire industries and job functions. The development of technology has also consistently created new job functions, jobs, and work structure.AI fits this pattern, as it will allow organizations to automate routine and redundant processes but not automate the human characteristics that drive creativity, compassion, ethics, strategy, and building relationships. For example, customer service representatives can use AI-driven tools to access data quickly and resolve customer questions more quickly, while still having compassion and understanding toward customers when interacting with them. Additionally, marketing teams may also use AI to analyze trends in data, thereby allowing more time and resources to be put into creative campaigns and strategic initiatives.
AI Operating as an Accelerator of Productivity
AI is exceptionally good at sifting through volumes (think mountains) of information in seconds. Tasks that previously took humans hours upon hours to do manually, are now able to be completed in minutes. Because of this, AI is driving a boost in productivity in the workplace across all industries. With many companies finding themselves under continuous pressure to innovate while managing their costs, the benefit of an increase in productivity through AI will play an important role. By reducing routine work and unnecessary paperwork, AI will free up the time of employees to spend their time solving problems, collaborating with coworkers and developing and innovating new products and services, which will continue to generate additional value for companies beyond their requirements. AI will not result in fewer people working in the office, but will empower more employees to have the opportunity to work on those things that are more productive and impactful.
The Value of Human Skills is Increasing
The greater the capacity of AI, the greater the value of the distinctly human skills that are beginning to be increased in the workplace. Creativity, empathy, leadership, adaptability and communication, are uniquely human skills that are becoming more valuable in the workplace.
Although AI can help to create content, recognize patterns, and identify recommendations, it will never provide the context, experience or the ability to understand complex human emotions. AI will struggle to develop trust with customers and instill confidence in teams during uncertain and/or difficult times, or demonstrate empathy when trying to reach out to others. In fact, with more automation of routine work, companies will continue to place higher value on human-centric skill-based capabilities. The leaders of the future will not be determined just from their technical skills; they will also be determined by their ability to leverage technology with emotional intelligence and a strategic vision. As a result, it is clear; as AI technology continues to advance, the more valuable uniquely human skills will become.
Role Redefinition Instead of Role Elimination
As AI is assimilated into the workforce, many jobs are changing due to the evolving nature of work and how humans collaborate with machines. The roles of many workers will be redefined rather than eliminated completely. Software developers use AI coding assistants to help accelerate their development efforts; financial analysts are now able to use AI-driven forecasting tools to gain new insight faster; and healthcare professionals are able to leverage AI in diagnostic aid while applying their expertise in making treatment and care decisions. The introduction of AI has also required the creation of a new class of jobs that will exist specifically to supervise, interpret, refine, and govern AI systems. As AI becomes integrated into organizations, workers will increasingly have a collaborative role with AI systems, ensuring that they’re meeting quality standards, supporting ethical outcomes, and helping the organization achieve its desired results. Organizations that invest in upskilling the workforce will be best equipped to take full advantage of the opportunities that will arise as a result of these and other forces that are reshaping the workforce.
Building Trust & Using AI Responsibly
The overall success of the collaboration between AI and humans is highly dependent on trust among employees. Employees need to feel secure knowing that they can expect AI to be used ethically, responsibly, and transparently. Organizations need to establish a clear governance framework to handle potential concerns such as bias, privacy, security and accountability. The use of human oversight will also be necessary for high-stakes situations such as in the financial industry, health care, litigation, and public services. The use of AI for ethical purposes and the creation of responsible AI will continue to be a leadership challenge, not just a technical one. Organizations will need to develop inclusive workplaces that provide employees with an understanding of how AI works and how it will ultimately aid and not hinder their respective jobs. When used appropriately, AI will help employees succeed in their careers by improving their experience as an employee, facilitating better decision-making, and creating new opportunities for career advancement.
The Competitive Edge of Human-AI Collaboration
The most successful organizations in the future will not be those with the most advanced AI by itself but rather those smart enough to combine human ingenuity with machine intelligence. AI has speed, scale, pattern recognition capabilities, and automation. Humans have creativity, judgment, empathy, and innovation. It is a partnership that has a lot more power when working together than by itself. It will be organizations embracing this collaboration that are better able to adapt to changing markets, reach their customers better, and open up new avenues of value. Workers who learn how to work alongside AI will also find themselves being at an advantage in the increasingly digital economy.
The future of work is not a war between humans and machines. AI does not eliminate human potential but rather increases it through the automation of repetitive tasks, bettering decisions and enhancing productivity that will enable workers to focus more on what they do best. As organizations evolve, this will no longer be a case of AI or humans, but AI and humans, that is a combination of technological capability bundled with human creativity, empathy, and judgment. In such a scenario, the victors of the time to come will be those that learn to work effectively with AI, not resist it.
–Authored by Kumar Rajagopalan – Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Country Head India at Dexian