This is the year when artificial intelligence (AI) is moving from the margins to the mainstream. While some companies have been using AI and machine learning technologies to improve operational performance for several years, fewer organizations have found a way to implement generative AI toolssuch as ChatGPT And Microsoft Copilotin production.
Also: Agile development can unlock the power of generative AI: here’s how
You can expect that trend to change this year as more organizations explore and leverage generative AI, David Brodeur-Johnson, principal analyst at Forrester, told ZDNET.
“2024 will be the year businesses get serious about applying generative AI to their internal data sources and providing insights and insights to their employees to help them do their jobs even better . »
Studies show AI spending will more than double in 2024 above levels seen in 2023, which equates to an average of $2.5 million per company, according to a survey by Rackspace Technology and Amazon Web Services.
Also: Generative AI is the technology IT feels the most pressure to exploit
But as employers look to introduce automation, many employees fear that the increased use of technologies like generative AI is far from good news.
Forrester research suggests up to 86% of American employees They fear that many people will lose their jobs due to AI and automation, and almost a third (31%) believe this trend will play out in the next two to five years.
Digital leaders respond a global survey from recruiter Nash Squared come to similar conclusions, with 17% being the average percentage of jobs digital executives estimate are lost to automation.
Yet context is important. While the focus is understandably on the fear that many roles will be automated, there is less analysis of how AI could improve worker efficiency and productivity and increase economic activity and productivity. growth.
Debra Bonomi, head of learning and development at e-commerce giant Rakuten, launched a program with ELB Learning in her organization to help staff upskill in the face of the rise of AI – and she said that employees in all areas of the company must embrace change.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” she told ZDNET. “The only thing we should be afraid of is if we continue to be the person who says, ‘Oh, I don’t need this. It won’t affect me.’ These are the people whose jobs will be negatively impacted.”
Also: Generative AI can transform customer experiences. But only if you focus on other areas first
Bonomi said his organization is committed to exploring the benefits of AI. The company partnered with OpenAI to create an internal version of ChatGPT, and Rakuten employees can already see the benefits.
“This will not only make us more efficient, but it will also change our jobs,” she said. “Not everyone will lose their job, but we may have very different tasks, roles and responsibilities in the future. There is nothing to fear, as long as we embrace this change and continue to work together. adapt along the way.”
That sentiment resonates with Bev White, CEO of recruiter Nash Squared, who told ZDNET it’s important not to jump to conclusions just yet despite the likelihood that AI will lead to big changes in the job market. work.
She said the history of the introduction of automation – from the industrial revolution to our current digital age – has always revolved around the fear of job losses.
Although AI and automation will lead to the end of some roles, the tools are also expected to help improve many workplaces and job roles.
Also: 4 Ways to Help Your Organization Overcome AI Inertia
White refers to software development and cites research suggesting developers use GitHub Copilot complete tasks 55% faster than developers who don’t.
The same study found that between 60% and 75% of developers say that using generative AI tools in their roles makes them feel more fulfilled, less frustrated when coding, and able to focus on more satisfying work.
“Emerging technology is speeding things up,” White said. “It’s about removing human processes – which are repetitive and not necessarily interesting to a human being – and replacing them with automated ways of doing things faster.”
Even with increased levels of automation, businesses will still need an involved human to ensure processes are completed efficiently, such as handling more complex customer service requests.
White said the tactical deployment of AI and automation should mean professionals will have more opportunities to focus on crucial areas of business.
“People will be able to do things, not only faster, but more cheaply and spend more time on the human elements – the thinking time, the decision-making time – that are essential to value-added processes.”
Nigel Richardson, SVP & CIO Europe at PepsiCo, is another business leader who said AI would increase worker efficiency and productivity.
“Generative AI will significantly augment people’s work rather than completely replacing it,” he said.
“Of course, some elements of jobs will be replaced. But I think history shows that when you have disruptive technologies, they generally create more jobs than they destroy.”
Also: 5 Ways CIOs Can Manage Business Demand for Generative AI
Richardson told ZDNET that the professionals who benefit from the rise of AI will likely be the ones who welcome the change.
“You have to have the spirit of lifelong learning,” he said. “The people I see succeed are always open to learning new things. You’re kidding yourself if you learn one thing and think it will last you your entire career.”
The key message from business leaders is that professionals must move from fear to trust in AI.
Ben Elms, chief revenue officer at internet connectivity specialist Expereo, told ZDNET that almost every implementation of a technological innovation comes with a side order of fear.
“If you think of AI as, ‘It’s going to change the world and it’s going to put people out of work,’ well, that’s not the case: it’s going to create even more opportunities and jobs.” , did he declare.
Elms said the key to success is finding the right use cases. He gave an example from his own business, which relies on resolving customer service requests, many of which require a canned response.
“These are highly repeatable tasks,” he said. “These requests are text-based and many responses can be provided quickly and efficiently by AI. This capability means people can move out of the service role, I can give them more training and they can be frontline people, improving the customer experience. “.
Also: 5 Ways to Prepare for the Impact of Generative AI on the IT Profession
Hari Ramamurthy, a technology researcher at Home Depot, is another business leader who said AI and automation can help workers focus on more interesting work.
“We definitely see this as something that will improve the productivity of our associates and help them with the laborious and monotonous aspects of what they are working on.”
Ramamurthy recently told me how the retail giant developed a machine learning-based app called Sidekick to increase staff productivity.
The app, which also uses computer vision, helps shop floor staff identify items in hard-to-find locations.
“It was a pain trying to search over our heads for some of our products. Sometimes an item isn’t exactly where you expect it to be,” he said.
“But technologies like computer vision are helping staff locate these products more easily. And that’s kind of the mindset we have about how we can increase the capabilities of our associates by improving their productivity in order to better serve customers.”
A recent research report from Goldman Sachs suggests the average increase in productivity the share of companies that were early adopters of generative AI is around 25%.
These AI-driven advances could offer staff in public organizations a way to reduce the drudgery of repetitive work and focus on potentially life-changing activities.
Also: Do you want to become a data scientist? Do These 4 Things, According to Business Leaders
Michelle Smith, program manager at Barnardo’s, a UK charity which supports more than 370,000 children, young people, parents and carers, said intelligent use of AI could help people focus on primary care services. line that matters most.
“It’s our relationships that allow us to function,” she told ZDNET. “That’s where people get the most enjoyment from work and that’s what motivates them. We work for a purpose. If you’re too stuck in front of a screen and don’t interact with your colleagues, it becomes painful.”
Smith said generative AI tools could help the charity reduce administrative burden and give people more time to think, collaborate and make decisions.
“I’ve worked in operational roles for years and there are a lot of things where I’m like, ‘Oh, I’d rather talk to a person than go through the tedious process of document verification,'” said she declared.
“It would be great if we could free people from processes and allow them to be creative in their roles by leveraging emerging technologies. I would like my colleagues who still occupy operational positions to have the opportunity to develop new skills.”
