Will Artificial Intelligence Replace or Augment Human Workers in Companies?
Oonagh Mc Nerney
Industry & Workplace Digital Transformation. #Industry 4.0 #DigitalWorkplace. Cofounder & CEO @IRIS @Workdeck
For several months now, the prevailing conversation revolves around Artificial Intelligence (AI). Although this technology only became accessible to the general public last year (the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 was undoubtedly one of the most significant events in the tech world in a long time), it's already occupying a substantial portion of companies' agendas, as well as the concerns of leaders and employees.
Despite its impressive capabilities and the benefits it offers organizations in terms of productivity, efficiency, creating employee and customer experiences, and modernizing business models, the concern about whether this technology ultimately has the potential to replace human workers is always present.
AI is a disruptive and revolutionary technology; by definition, it disrupts the established order. Many tasks that were previously done in a certain way will cease to make sense, especially repetitive, tedious, risky, or low-value-added tasks.
Why would a company employ a person to search for information in a large number of documents, summarize lengthy texts, or handle hundreds of customer interactions? Today, AI can do all of this faster, more efficiently, and with minimal margin for error.
However, AI doesn't replace people; it repositions them. The challenge lies in developing training and skills-upgrading strategies so that each employee can fully utilize their human skills to benefit the organization.
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We can unlock our full potential, including empathy, judgment, creativity, and leadership skills, by building teams that combine the best of both human and artificial elements, where each part does what it does best.
Resisting the advance of technological evolution is a losing battle: progress will continue regardless, and the best recommendation is to quickly embrace AI and understand how and why it can assist us.
Holistic work management solutions like Workdeck can facilitate the seamless and controlled integration of AI into existing workflows. By providing a centralized platform for managing tasks and projects, this can help to ensure that AI complements and assists human efforts without causing disruption. It enables teams to harness the power of AI without compromising the unique value that human workers bring to the table, allowing for a harmonious collaboration between technology and human expertise.
And for those who are concerned, here's a reassuring message: humanity has witnessed numerous technological revolutions throughout history. Not only has it emerged stronger each time, but it has also known how to leverage these innovations to improve its quality of life. Why wouldn't AI follow this same logic?