Will using AI become a daily non-negotiable this year?

If you weren’t interested in AI or automation, you’d be forgiven for thinking that last year was the first time it entered the public domain. ChatGPT was fuelling the conversation, and for many it was eye-opening to see the potential that AI has – especially when it comes to the world of work.

However, AI has been filtering through to our day-to-day lives without us realising – for years. Back in 2021, renowned futurist Bernard Marr published a list of how we’re already interacting with AI on a daily basis. Examples such as face ID on our mobiles, google travel suggestions and amazon recommendations are just some of the ways AI has already been helping make our lives a little easier.

What’s interesting for me is how many people feel under pressure or want to be utilising AI in their respective roles but are not sure where to start. It’s not so much a fear of AI, but more a question of ‘how’ I can start incorporating some useful tools into my everyday work life that I’ll likely reap the benefits from.

Asking the experts

As part of our new series ‘Hays in Conversation with...’ I asked James Hutt , founding consultant at Paradigm Junction when he thought using AI every day might become a non-negotiable:

“I do believe actively using AI will become a non-negotiable, but not in the way you might think. I don’t expect AI to become something we are forced to use or else, but rather to become something we stop seeing as a question or discussion. It will just become the norm.

Like lots of previous AI developments (image recognition, You Might Like recommendations)- ?it’ll fade into the background. Microsoft are currently launching their AI features for Office, called Co-Pilot, which will start showing up on our computers as soon as organisations (or individuals) pay to upgrade. From the demos, it’s clear these features are going to feel more like an automated spellcheck than a tool you seek out specifically.

Would you like AI to help you rewrite this more clearly? More concisely? Does it need to be funnier? Who among us will resist clicking that option, to try it out at least once or twice. The results will impress lots of people who haven’t yet experimented with AI tools and serve as a nudge to convince them to use AI more frequently.”

Upskilling versus actively using AI

I’ve previously written about why I think AI needs to be a priority for today’s leaders, and for myself I’m certainly focused on upskilling in AI knowledge, as well as actively using the tools available – but should this be the case for every professional or worker?

According to research in our 2024 UK Salary Guide , the majority (80%) of workers have not yet used AI tools in their current roles. Although in the future a quarter (25%) of employees do think Machine Learning and AI tools will have a positive impact on their job.

Despite this 60% of employees do not feel their employer is helping them to prepare for the use and incorporation of AI in the workplace.

Of course, how much you make the most of AI and to what extent you will need to upskill depends entirely on your job role and profession. On this, James Hutt advises, “If you feel like you’re still in uncharted territory with AI, the best way around this predicament is to have a play around with some of the tools yourself.

Lots of people try one query and never venture back into the world of AI. But try thinking about AI as a new colleague – and adopt the same practice you would when learning to work with another person.? Maybe some types of tasks aren’t the best ones to delegate – or maybe you weren’t asking the right question, or in the right way. It’s going to take lots of interactions over the course of a month or two to work out where you really can save time and effort by bringing in some AI help. Remember that the AI tools you use today are the worst that they are ever going to be in the future. Something that doesn’t work now might well work in a few months’ time. It’s only going to get smarter and better.”

Bringing staff on your AI journey – and encouraging them!

Making use of the full potential of AI in the workplace is very much a work in progress although most employers do believe their organisation will use AI at some point in the future.

If you’re already investing in AI and implementing new tools, don’t keep this on the down low. Make sure your staff are engaged and updated with how you plan to use the technology and the benefits any AI tools will bring to individuals’ roles.

Be upfront with staff if you will be monitoring AI usage and engage with them if they need support to upskill and become better acquainted with the latest tools. As well as AI being a useful tool to help us in our day-to-day lives, it also has the potential to provide huge opportunities for career development and business growth. So, let’s adapt and embrace it.

Are you utilising AI tools in your everyday worklife? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.