Looking Ahead: 2024 AI Trends

Just one month into 2024, there are strong signals that this is the year that AI will move from testing to broader implementation.??

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, there was a lot of excitement around artificial intelligence (AI) and real-world pilots and integrations on display.??

• Walmart held its first CES keynote to announce its new AI-powered shopping experiences that the retailer says will benefit shoppers and its nearly 2 million store associates across the United States. As one of the largest employers in the world, Walmart’s announcement is likely to inspire similar efforts among other employers.??
• Microsoft announced the first change to its keyboards in three decades. The new “AI Copilot key” for laptops and PCs will provide access to Microsoft’s AI tool, Windows Copilot. The update is a strong indication that AI will further enter the consumer mainstream in 2024.

Watch Kristina Francis, executive director, JFFLabs talk about AI's impact on learning and working at CES.

But fundamental questions and concerns remain.

AI could rapidly threaten the jobs of high-mobility Black workers without a four-year degree, according to a recent report from McKinsey & Company, reported on by Work Shift. The industries and roles most likely to be affected—such as entry-level coding roles and supervisory positions—must accelerate teaching new skills, focus on future-proof skills, and give workers a say in AI decisions.?

• Two new studies released at the World Economic Forum also underscore ongoing questions about how AI will reshape workforces across the economy—and how well-prepared employees may be for those shifts.??
• According to Deloitte’s State of Generative AI report, "Only 47% [of C-suite executives] say they are sufficiently educating employees about AI." And a poll conducted by PwC found that "[a]bout a quarter of CEOs expected the deployment of generative AI in their own businesses would lead to job cuts of at least 5% of staff this year."??

There are actions and investments we can make in 2024 to ensure AI accelerates equitable economic advancement and quality jobs.?

• Intentional investments in teaching new skills: As AI begins to impact hiring and staffing decisions (whether a scapegoat or not), workers in vulnerable roles will need support to develop new technical skills and home in on the durable human skills critical for success in the workplace.??
• Collaborative development and deployment of AI: Companies can borrow lessons from incorporating worker voice into business decisions and inclusive innovation models to ensure that workers have a say in how AI is implemented. Doing so can have a positive impact on employee engagement and retention while also improving buy-in and productivity.??
• A focus on “edge cases”: If we want AI to work for all people, we need to promote inclusive design. As our friends at Upwardly Global argue, “data used to train AI models are often laden with assumptions and biases that make the underlying algorithms underdeliver—and in some cases discriminate against—communities on the edges.”??

What’s next for the Center for AI & the Future of Work?

JFF’s Center for AI & the Future of Work is developing research, insights, storytelling, and real-world, hands-on guidance to ensure that AI’s progress accelerates equitable economic advancement and quality jobs instead of holding it back.??

?Watch this space for our forthcoming work and ways to get involved, including:?

• The development of an AI for Economic Equity framework, which would help leaders across sectors better understand the key factors influencing how AI is positioned to support equitable economic advancement and produce actionable recommendations and policy priorities to achieve equitable outcomes.?
• Deeper research and data analysis building on the insights gained in the AI-Ready Workforce report to examine the immediate impact of AI on specific roles, offering new and actionable insights for employers and workforce training providers.??

?Sign up to learn more and stay connected with the team at JFF.org/ai.??

?Supporting articles, reports, promotion opportunities??

• AI in 2024: Five Trends Workers Need to Know, BBC News?
• The Top Priority for AI Policy: Keep Humans at the Center, JFFLabs?
• CSE 2024: AI’s Impact on Learning and Work, WorkingNation?
• AI for Job Seekers, WorkingNation?
• AI Disruption and Job Replacement, Wealth Gap, and Economic Inequality, The Earley AI Podcast?

Fireside chat: Shaping a Future of Equitable Learning and Work With JFFVentures Innovators??

Monday, February 26, 2-3 p.m. ET

From connecting education with employability to enabling skills-based hiring practices and enhancing employee engagement, AI technologies can revolutionize each part of the learn-and-work ecosystem.?Three JFFVentures portfolio companies—AdeptID, Anthill, and Territorium—are at the forefront of this work. Join us for a panel discussion to hear how these companies are using AI to drive equitable economic advancement for learners and workers.

Please register here by Friday, February 23.?Once you've registered, you will receive a Zoom link to join the meeting.?