Slogans related to artificial intelligence (AI) displayed at the Workday Pavilion during the 54th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 16, 2024.
Dennis Bariboos | Reuters
Experts say concerns about AI are widespread no matter which side of the desk a person sits on, but leaders are enthusiastic about AI and how it will impact and change the way employees work. providing clear communication about this is critical to long-term success.
“There’s a lot of fear out there, but there’s actually a lot of opportunity. Employees aren’t getting the message because employers aren’t getting the message,” said Gartner Senior Director and Analyst. said one Emily Rose McRae. The future of work teams. McRae said many employers have concerns about AI, and that’s transmitted to their employees. McRae said employers need to better educate her about the opportunities and benefits of AI. And, she added, “people need to hear from their employers, ‘This is our plan.'”
According to a recent survey by HR software company Workday, 62% of business leaders welcome the arrival of AI into the workplace. Employees are even more reluctant to embrace AI, with only 52% welcoming it.
McRae said employers are often uncertain about where and how to deploy AI, causing anxiety. Enthusiasm for AI will spread among employees as they understand how it can improve productivity and create new opportunities. However, they need to communicate clearly and demonstrate how AI will support workers.
“People are worried because there’s been a message in the media that AI is going to take away jobs, and vendors are coming out with products that show how to use AI to eliminate jobs,” McRae said.
McRae said employers should talk to employees if they need to reconsider their role and explain that they will consider other ways the employee can contribute to the company. All of this helps build trust with workers, she said.
Patrick Flynn, assistant professor of human resources management at North Carolina State University, said trust is an important currency that managers need to cultivate. He added that the gap between bosses and employees is widening because employees have to trust twice.
“From the perspective of subordinates, lower-level employees, they need to trust two different entities: the leader and the AI,” Flynn said. In this way, two processes proceed in parallel as he develops trust.
Employers can explain how and why the system was developed so that workers can trust that the AI-driven system will benefit them and that the AI will operate within a set of acceptable values. and build trust.
Flynn said business leaders need to teach their employees how to use AI.
“I don’t think it will replace jobs, but jobs and roles within companies will change,” Flynn added, adding that employers need to prepare their employees for this.
Atif Rafiq, CEO of AI startup Ritual, agrees that this technology will transform work and that the next 18 to 24 months will be a period of adapting and adopting AI and figuring out where the boundaries are. I am.
Rafiq said AI will become increasingly important in taking over some of the traditional tasks and administrative duties while allowing employees to be creative and solve problems.
“Creating new knowledge is very different from managing what a company already knows,” Rafiq said. He added that many employees will shift to problem-solving and fostering creativity. However, humans are still needed to drive innovation, and will continue to be needed in the future.
“Humans can define problems and ask the right questions, but AI can speed up much of that work, do the research, and fill in the blanks,” Rafiq said. Masu. He added that while human contributions remain important, AI will accelerate human achievements. “It’s an inspiring message, it’s a message of growth,” Rafiq said, adding that inspiring messages help dispel fear and dissolve distrust.
Rafiq also said that it is important to address mistrust because today’s CEOs will be judged tomorrow on how they lead in a new era of AI.
“If you are the CEO of a global company, your legacy will be determined by your actions and whether it is human-centered or 100% focused on the bottom line,” Rafiq said, adding that these are He still runs the company today, adding that it’s a matter of moral and personal legacy.
Patrick Stratton, Workday’s chief technology officer, said of the company’s recent AI survey results, “What surprised me most was that so many individuals and businesses don’t know how to use AI.” That’s what I mean.” “And on the personal level, too many people lack trust.”
The role of companies over the coming months will be to bridge the divide and help their employees cross it.
Stratton said companies must follow a four-step process to successfully close the trust gap. Put together a responsible AI strategy. Developing an AI risk management framework. Then develop a plan for how and where to clearly communicate about AI.
Stratton said adapting to AI will test limits, but ultimately presents opportunities.
“AI has the potential to disrupt many types of jobs, but it also presents an opportunity to help individuals reskill and learn to do things in new ways,” Stratton he said.
