The fear of the unknown is a very real and understandable human reaction, especially when one’s livelihood feels at stake. The proliferation of artificial intelligence, or AI, in workplaces, topping headlines, and overtaking conversation only adds to the confusion. However, AI is a powerful tool that can transform the way we work, creating new jobs, industries, and opportunities.
The Work of the Future Looks Different
Over time, industries change as processes, technology, and workers advance. Before Henry Ford, automobile manufacturing was much less efficient than it is with the assembly line. While change may be uncomfortable, it is a necessary component of modernization.
In an AI-powered workforce, new AI skills will be just as expected as word processing. Mastery of AI and digital literacy will start appearing as required skill sets on job descriptions. Workers should be comfortable using AI tools, understand how they work, and know how to maximize their effectiveness.
A human‘s ability to understand how to train a large language model will help them get the best outputs and responses. Understanding data extracts and how to manipulate performance results, survey responses, and sales figures won’t be reserved for certain jobs.
People will also need to understand how automation has a place in their business and can analyze processes worth automating. Workers will need to understand how to establish new workflows to automate repetitive tasks and be good stewards of data.
AI in automotive industry fields has been a game-changer, assisting sales teams with the sales funnel, which often begins off-hours. Fueled with inventory data, AI chatbots deliver relevant responses to potential buyers and set appointments with salespeople. This integration helps teams spend time with qualified leads, improving customer experiences, and closing more deals.
Skills Shifts Maximize Human Superpowers
Your most mundane tasks may soon be a thing of the past. Roles and tasks are shifting with the infusion of AI across every job description. Humans will need to identify these tasks, as industries and innovation require nuance.
However, the most repetitive parts of jobs can help sales teams prioritize client lists and identify risks. With cookie tracking, marketing campaigns can prioritize repeat online store visitors. Ads can be presented across platforms like social media to bring customers back into the funnel.
Teams at work will be more nimble and dynamic, with everyone playing a role in the digital space. New jobs will also emerge that help teams gain AI skills, deploy new tools, and integrate platforms into the business.
Cross-functional teams will convene to establish data governance and ethics specific to the organization. Companies handling significant financial and personally identifiable information will need to weigh the risks of AI relative to this data.
Digital Literacy is Required Across Industries
The term digital literacy will become more commonplace as AI tools gain workplace approval. As mentioned, teams will reduce specialized functions and incorporate more generalists.
Roles like administrative support will shift, as recording and manual tasks are deferred to AI. Instead, workers might benefit from learning new tools and how to pivot to changing workplace expectations. Other roles that largely include clerical work will shift towards oversight and problem-solving.
This is where industry expertise becomes especially valuable to companies. Experienced professionals understand the human element and have a good read on trends that can help inform thoughtful analysis. Organizations should invest in enterprise-wide training that goes beyond basic IT ethics and cybersecurity.
Provide democratic access to training to help teams gain consistent and industry-relevant AI knowledge. Every team member takes ownership of the process of integrating AI when it is supported by the organization. Offer a blend of in-person and self-paced coursework with assessments and projects for team members to apply their skills. Identify work focus where AI can be prioritized and tested by more senior users. This will help improve the speed of adoption of AI tools at work and increase their effectiveness when deployed outside of testing.
Ethics, Governance, and Transparency Create New Rules
All professionals should have a baseline ethical standard; however, the existence of AI complicates workplaces. Organizations should assess their existing practices and customer agreements to determine what information is appropriate for AI.
Tools should be carefully reviewed for how they handle and store data. Government organizations will have stricter standards that may need to meet FedRAMP approval, causing frustration and potential stagnation.
Provide transparency for your employees as you navigate this process. Individuals may be frustrated by the slowdown of AI integration, hopeful at the prospect of streamlined workflows.
Establish organizational standards, limit access on work networks, and create a cross-functional team to guide governance standards. The more transparent you are about AI integration, the more buy-in, compliance, and risk management you can establish.
Pivot Any Career for Artificial Intelligence
In an AI-infused economy, career stagnation is a thing of the past. With knowledge surrounding artificial intelligence, how to leverage it, and when human intelligence outpaces machine learning, the limits are nonexistent.
The future of work blends the computing power of AI with the context, purpose, and empathy only humans can convey. No matter one’s age, experience, or education, you can redesign your career with and through AI. Learn how to use AI, draft prompts, and analyze outputs to be a part of the next generation of work.
