Artificial Intelligence and the Brave New Workplace

In graduate school 30 years ago, we studied Artificial Intelligence as part of our Management Information Systems curriculum. Fascinated by the potential that AI held, I spent many hours having interesting conversations with my professors and fellow students on the subject. At that time, its uses were being predicted in numerous ways. I remember intelligent stop lights as one real example where AI was being used. Waiting at a red light was never the same after that! There was a lot of exciting buzz about what AI could do! I started imaging how life-changing it would become. In the years that followed, I was surprised that AI was slow to reach its potential. The main obstacle was due to hardware processing speed. Fortunately, this hurdle was overcome in the last decade.

Since then, AI has taken off! It is now rapidly changing work as we know it. This is not only happening in technological fields, but across almost all industries. If you don’t work directly with machine learning, you may wonder where the AI are in the workplace and whether this shift is actually happening. Rest assured, if you own a smartphone, you’re already interacting with AI. When people think about the effects of AI and automation, they often imagine the dystopian scenarios straight out of a Hollywood movie. But the Terminator’s Skynet is not what AI is or what it will become in the future. According to LinkedIn, AI is more like Pinocchio’s Jiminy Cricket or Joi from Bladerunner 2049. AI is being created by humans to help humanity, not destroy or replace it.

Artificial Intelligence has the ability to make both work and life easier for everyone. It also has the potential to help advance medical and scientific research rapidly. Right now, many environmental researchers are working with machine learning to understand ecological sustainability issues. Cancer doctors have been using AI to assist in identifying cancerous skin lesions and reduce cancer treatment toxicity for patients.

With all of the positive advances that AI are bringing to the world, there will be sudden shifts in the workplace and productivity. Many jobs that are more repetitive and automated will become obsolete and those who fill those roles now will need to adapt. In the place of these jobs will be ones that do not yet exist. While many people are afraid of this coming change, it should be embraced because AI will make jobs we do easier. There is even a theory that the work week will be reduced and we’ll have more time to spend pursuing the things we love. 

Here are some ways that AI will change the workplace as we know it:

·        Decision Making: If you’ve ever taken a Lyft or Uber, you know that both rideshare apps help drivers make decisions related to the quickest and easiest navigation routes. This same element will be applied to numerous decision making processes in the workplace, which will help maximize efficiency and help us become more productive.

·        Job Creation: While many jobs that can be automated will become obsolete, AI will bring new career fields and opportunities in roles that do not yet exist. These jobs will be centered on AI processes and data science.

·        Productivity: Output will speed up rapidly. Humans will no longer be required to do numerous tasks that AI can do quicker and more efficiently. But these tasks are generally time consuming and can take workers focus away from bigger, long-term projects. By utilizing AI, companies will be able to grow and advance their mission at much faster rates.

·        More Time: Because AI will take on tasks that currently require time from employees and executives, both will have more time to focus on higher level projects that require innovative ideas and creativity. Values in the workplace will shift in this direction and jobs will be created around these values.  

If you are nervous about the rapid changes on the horizon, here are a few tips I suggest to make certain you stay marketable and ready for the future:

·        Skill Building: There are many free online courses on subjects that can lead to an important career move. Take a look at introductory courses on Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Big Data, etc. Data Science is growing exponentially as a field. Jobs related to AI are where you want to be. Even if you’re not interested in being a researcher or scientist, just having this knowledge will allow you to adapt to roles you’re not even considering right now.

·        Adaptation: Our work will change rapidly. As I mentioned above, many roles that rely on repetition or rote tasks will be no longer be necessary. You have to be able to go with the flow and use or build skills that allow you to offer your talents in ways that AI cannot. Companies will shift their needs to skills that AI cannot replicate. Right now, AI is not able to match human creativity and innovation.

·        Soft Skills: Technology comes and goes. Because of this, you need to make certain you master soft skills such as creativity, communication, empathy, work ethic, adaptability, time management, team work, and interpersonal skills. Your emotional intelligence will set you apart from those who have haven’t honed these skills. These skills will become increasingly valued as AI becomes more dominant.   

AI is bringing massive advancements and making our work and personal life easier in a number of ways. It will also upend the system we’ve built that relies on human labor in jobs that can be automated. While the process of changing this system for one that is fully AI integrated may cause growing pains, in the end, it will enable humanity’s progress and create a better world!