Actually using AI at work

?? Long story short: Here in late 2024 corporate leaders believe AI will improve creative process and output—but very few have plans, methodology or measures to facilitate those expectations.

Sound familiar?

Maybe you’re old enough to remember when the Macintosh first arrived inside creative operations. Most recall the advent of the Internet. At each stage, enabling and empowering technology suggested all kinds of benefits but there’s always a catch—you have to learn how to take advantage. And at this edge of a new dynamic, few leaders seem willing to invest in the kind of training which will truly unlock a noticeable change in talent. Yet, they’re bullish on employees figuring out how to achieve the outcomes anyway.

Recent research from Upwork’s Workplace Intelligence Survey, as well as the 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report from Microsoft and LinkedIn paint the picture. As Upwork puts it:

“96% of C-suite leaders say they expect the use of AI tools to increase their company’s overall productivity levels. Yet less than a third of these leaders (26%) have AI training programs in place for their workforce and only 13% report a well-implemented AI strategy.”

Which aligns with two points from Microsoft and LinkedIn’s report:

Only 39% of people globally who use AI at work have gotten AI training from their company.

I get it.

Exactly how a firm might specifically benefit from AI, especially within creative, can appear nebulous. Why fund an unclear learning curve? And yet, there’s decent evidence to define where and how the benefits of AI are taking shape. Take a look at the image at the top of this post from Microsoft and LinkedIn.

From my perspective, the smarter firms will recognize their early adopters and incentivize them to join the cause of developing training and implementation strategies. Those evangelists are in firms of all shapes and sizes; they’re just keeping quiet. From Microsoft and LinkedIn:

78% of AI users are bringing their own AI tools to work (BYOAI)—it’s even more common at small and medium-sized companies (80%).

Why are workers so shy about being known for their AI expertise? As Upwork puts it in their research:

“Nearly half (47%) of employees using AI say they have no idea how to achieve the productivity gainstheir employers expect.”

In other words, what’s the corporate vision for leveraging AI; what’s the story we might unite our AI use behind? Leaders appear challenged in articulating a path forward. Upwork notes the perils of extolling an apparent advantage without adequate support:

“AI is a groundbreaking, promising technology, but when we introduce it into the same systems and models that have been stymieing productivity for years, we double down on our existing problems.”

Yet AI isn’t merely a faster approach to old tasks, it can be an entirely new way of thinking about entire systems. That’s where I get excited.

There’s good news here, of course, for creative talent.

You’re desired.

From Microsoft and LinkedIn:

Someone needs to lead.

Why not you?

And the evidence is not pointing towards any advantage for seniority. As Microsoft and LinkedIn’s report suggests, leaders told them…

“71% say they’d rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate without them.”

????♂??? All this to say, I’ve got experience and a methodology to help you and your firm figure out a pragmatic vision. Let’s schedule 15 minutes to get started.