Generative AI is here to stay. So, how will it impact the way we work?

By Alan Richardson and Bobbi Talbot

*Reader note: I do not profess to be and am not a expert in Generative AI (AI capable of generating text, images and other media, using generative models like ChatGPT).? These are more my hopes and musings on where this technology can take us in the HR/Future of Work space based on my current understanding of the capabilities of the general set of tools we call GenAI.?Much thanks to some actual experts in GenAI, who gave Bobbi and I their time and support to help us understand the subject better. Even bigger thanks to Bobbi who co-wrote this with me!

As a fan of science fiction (Star Wars, Foundation, you name it!) I find the idea of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) pretty exciting … somewhat scary (exhibit A: the Terminator) … but mainly exciting.

AI is certainly one of the most transformative technologies affecting the world today, though a 2023 research report from Toronto Metropolitan University’s public policy institute stated that only ~4% of Canadian businesses are currently using it. In its simplest forms, AI can help us to solve traditional business problems like automation, though we know it is capable of much more. Where can it take us?? How do we have to adapt?? And, at what point does ‘science fiction’ become reality? For the purpose of this post, I’d like to focus on its application to my world - talent strategy and solutions. Specifically, how can GenAI enable workforce effectiveness and skills development?

Talent Marketplace

With the current power of AI tools, many large organizations are creating an updated talent marketplace using GenAI to optimize workforce deployment, while increasing access to career opportunities for employees. This can be done by analyzing required work outcomes and matching employees to areas of work where their skills are most needed and/or where they’re interested in upskilling or reskilling.

A 2023 Boston Consulting Group (BCG) analysis estimated that up to 20% of HR’s time is spent on HR strategy and planning (including workforce planning). The potential efficiency gain on this type of activity from the application of GenAI is approximately 10-25%.

Three organizational groups – employees, managers, and senior leadership – will be affected in very distinct ways by the Talent Marketplace. From an employee perspective, we can expect more career path personalization through GenAI’s ability to analyze skills and skills interests and make informed suggestions. From a manager perspective, we can expect a more accurate depiction of skill gaps within individual teams, and the ability to improve managers’ coaching capabilities through individualized job recommendations.? And, from a leadership perspective, we’ll be able to predict workforce needs with increased accuracy and timeliness by analyzing trends in skill demand and supply, location strategy, and other factors to boost our sourcing and upskilling strategy.

This is something that a number of leading organizations are already deploying and others are keenly exploring. Here’s a recent example of an interesting transformation story about how one employer improved productivity and internal mobility – saving millions of dollars – through a GenAI-enabled internal talent marketplace platform.

‘Superpowered’ workforce = higher productivity

Beyond transforming our talent marketplace, GenAI has a ton of potential to change the way we work across industries. As described by Josh Bersin at the Irresistible 2023 conference, “individual workers in virtually every job are going to be super-powered by these tools”.? One use that I believe would be incredibly powerful, particularly for those in the corporate world, is coaching the workforce to become more productive. Recent announcements from OpenAI, Meta, and Google claim the launch of their own respective AI chatbots will act as a personal assistant. Using these chatbots, employees might be able to automate things like calendar and task management, content creation and measurement, and certain types of communications. Microsoft Teams is also launching some AI capabilities, including the ability to provide intelligent recaps of meetings, along with recommended tasks and highlights for each individual attendee.

The HBR article titled Boost Your Productivity with Generative AI by Bernard Marr says “global productivity could be boosted by around 7% annually over a 10-year period” with the use of these tools.? With productivity gained, we could enable employees and people managers to focus their efforts on desired strategic outcomes rather than focusing on the more tactical side of work.

When SciFi becomes reality?

With AI enhancements, one has to wonder when they begin to enter into the realm of what some could consider ‘science fiction’. I recently attended an event with Business + Higher Education Roundtable where RBC’s CEO Dave McKay discussed the potential for AI to advance and inform the type of work, we, as humans, do – a future where it enables humans to focus on outcomes rather than routine tasks. ?Imagine a world where, instead of taking hours to search for details from 10 different data sources, combine them and analyze, instead you design a prompt for your GenAI tool that does all this aggregation and basic analysis for you instantaneously.? This could greatly accelerate the path from generalist to specialist for someone new in role.? Or imagine GenAI providing coaching to managers or project leaders on how to structure an effective project, focus their time on key priorities, identify problems/risks before they occur.? For fans of Star Trek – this sounds awfully like the computer that plays a central role in helping to run the Federation’s starships – sci to reality indeed.?

I believe this could boost productivity by way more than 7%.? However, for this to be realized, we would need to build new skillsets.? Universities and colleges would have to re-think the types of pathways available for education and development, and all organizations would need structurally adapt to support the change. And of course, as we look to the future of AI, we need to also ensure that its use respects diversity, human integrity and ultimately enhances the workforce experience rather than detracts from it.??

History shows that the adoption and impact from these types of technological advancements takes time. It was 1960 when the internet was first considered, another 20 or so before it was being used widely and it took a decade beyond that for email to become a standard communication channel. But, over time, we’ve seen bigger and more incredible change than we could have ever imagined from a world wide web.? Science fiction or not, GenAI is here to stay, and I am excited to see where it takes us!

BTW - thanks for reading Bobbi and my first full article - hopefully more to come, let us know what you thought!