By Daniel Keller, CEO & Co-founder, InFlux Technologies
Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining unprecedented traction with 72% of organizations responding to a recent McKinsey survey saying that they use AI in at least one business function.
While business leaders might be excited to use AI to lower costs and see higher profit margins, the story among employees looks a little different. A Microsoft survey shows that 53% of workers said they worry that using AI for tasks would make them seem replaceable.
The gap between how employers and employees use AI technology shows an important challenge that companies must tackle. How can we continue to encourage AI use in the workplace and address any skepticism?
The Myth Of Mass Unemployment
One of the biggest challenges of using AI at work is the risk of job loss. However, the common idea that robots and AI will take all jobs, causing mass unemployment, is mostly a myth.
To understand why, consider AI adoption from the perspective of AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE), which measures AI’s application to workplace abilities and occupations. Some jobs face high exposure to AI, others are well-suited to be complimented by AI. Because of this, some roles—such as those with high exposure and low complementary abilities, like telemarketing—may still see lower demand, but most others will still require human supervision and judgment.
That said, AI technology often requires major changes in the skills needed. Employers are responding to these changes by providing upskilling programs for workers. At the same time, AI is creating new roles that did not exist before.
Along with upskilling and new roles, the development of clear frameworks and ethical guidelines is key to charting the course for AI adoption in the workplace. This will promote safe use, lower security risks and encourage the use of AI to drive productivity and innovation.
By clearly showing how AI can work with current business systems, employers can present AI as a helpful tool. This way, AI enhances human intelligence instead of replacing it.
Privacy Concerns
Another battleground regarding using AI in the workplace stems from concerns about the potential erosion of privacy.
AI can help track and monitor workplace performance, and these tools have made employees uncomfortable. While they can improve how well things run by allowing employers to spot unusual behavior, productivity issues and policy violations, they may also lead to more stress and less trust at work. The feeling of being constantly under scrutiny may also hinder creativity and innovation in workflow.
From the employer’s perspective, many business leaders are concerned that employees might also accidentally share sensitive data with AI tools. These tools can store this information forever and may let other users access it. This may lead to a breach of proprietary information and sensitive personal data.
In 2023, Samsung banned the use of ChatGPT and other AI tools. This decision came after they found a leak of sensitive code on the AI platform. JPMorgan Chase also put in place a ban to prevent sharing sensitive information with outside parties. The same goes for Amazon, Apple, Goldman Sachs and others.
To address privacy in the workplace, clear rules can define how to use AI tools. Employers can adopt a “privacy by design” approach in deploying and implementing workplace AI systems. They must also be transparent about how they use workplace AI. This helps employees understand the decision-making process.
Employees should be able to review, appeal or challenge decisions when needed. Human oversight should make the final decision on these important issues. This helps prevent cases of algorithm bias and ethical violations.
Employee consent, awareness of AI and training programs are important steps for responsible AI use at work.
AI for Workplace Synergy
AI tools and technology offer a lot of potential for organizations.
These systems can allow multiple departments to collaborate on projects by facilitating data sharing and seamless communication through automated workflows. This is especially useful in large organizations. AI systems can also automatically assign employees to tasks on a project by considering each person’s skills, availability and priority.
Using AI alongside human leadership can boost organizational productivity. It helps drive innovation, encourages collaboration and improves communication between departments.
However, as with most emerging technologies, the use of AI in the workplace comes with challenges. By clearly defining a strong AI strategy, organizations can succeed. This strategy should include employee participation at all levels. It should also prioritize a “privacy first” design, among other important factors.