Eman Al-Hillawi, CEO at business change consultancy Entec Si, looks at the future of the workplace and the impact of AI
The future of the workplace is quite clear – like it or not, AI is here to stay.
While many still sit on the fence when it comes to AI adoption at work, failing to grasp and embrace new technologies just might lead to unwanted and avoidable disasters. Now is the time for business leaders to empower their people and champion AI in the workplace by putting parameters around what it is used for, how and why.
When it comes to AI adoption, there is still a mass-misunderstanding of the technology. What most people don’t realise is that artificial intelligence has been around since the 1950s and will continue to learn, adapt and evolve as its usage becomes more popular. Released in November 2022, ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, changed the way most people think and talk about AI. This groundbreaking chatbot formed the base-level understanding of AI for the majority of people, representing an almost-sentient being that seems to know the answer to everything, and in turn, threatens job security in the process. However, the reality is that AI is nothing without the people that power it, making education around the technology, and how best to use it, even more crucial.
Now business leaders face a new challenge: implement AI, educate employees and upskill the workforce – all at the same time, and often while getting to grips with the technology themselves. No easy feat.
So where do business leaders begin? Implementing AI should be approached in the same way as any other change programme, with people at the centre of successful delivery, and improving the adoption of AI within an organisation is no exception.
To kickstart AI adoption, understanding the knowledge level of the workforce prior to making any official arrangements can help businesses to develop a comprehensive and personalised training plan for each employee to ensure change remains for the long term.
As with any big transformation project, business leaders must be prepared for hesitancy towards new technology. Having been demonised as a replacement for workers for some time now, many are wary of AI’s application within the workplace. Instead, combining a well-structured training programme with a considered communication strategy, will see employees feel more confident and comfortable with the transformation, AI’s impact and their continued role within an organisation.
Having a thorough understanding of each employees knowledge base and general feelings towards AI, can help business leaders to shape communication and training strategies accordingly. Picking key messages to communicate to employees, for instance, ‘how AI is being implemented to free up employee capacity’, will ensure the team understands exactly why it is being introduced and help mitigate feelings of anxiousness. For employees who are feeling nervous when it comes to AI at work, reiterating job safety and communicating the direct benefits of the new technology should help to calm nerves and dispel fears.
Keeping employees involved in the technical application of AI is essential, ensuring the system is being used correctly and that the outputs are in-line with company policies. Whilst AI can analyse data that has been input into its system, spot and predict patterns and come to an unbiased conclusion much quicker than a person may be able to, the output will only be valid if the data, and instructions, have been input correctly.
Not only that, but human-centric considerations that sit outside of data-led decision making means that there will always be the need for human input alongside AI, even when it comes to automation.
As AI continues to develop, it’s key for business leaders to have designated AI champions within the workplace. This is to monitor how it is being used, check for misuse, educate others, regularly asses outputs and create a safe environment for employees to ask questions.
This person, or group of champions, will also need to keep up-to-date with regulations around the use of AI and data, ensuring the business maintains high standards of data protection at all times.
AI is inevitable when it comes to the future of work, but people will always be essential. Many business leaders might still be on the fence when it comes to AI adoption, particularly when it comes to keeping employees happy and at ease.
However, through a carefully structured and open communications strategy and well thought out training plan, every employee can feel confident when embracing AI at work.
Keeping people at the heart of every change programme, even a digital transformation such as AI adoption, is the key to fostering a human-centric working environment that uses the latest digital trends to its advantage.
