While much of the discourse surrounding AI in the workplace has focussed on attention-grabbing headlines about robots replacing human workers in the future, the reality is that AI has already infiltrated the workplace in a much more subtle way.
And whether you’re using an AI tool to make meetings more efficient or turn to ChatGPT every time you need to get the bones of a report together, chances are your day-to-day tasks are becoming increasingly reliant on generative AI to get your job done.
But do companies need to take a more proactive approach to implementing AI in the workplace? According to a recent report by Workday, 93% of employees and business leaders have concerns about implementing AI in the workplace in a more formal and structured capacity.
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- Software Engineer – Software Acquisition Management, BAE Systems, Filton
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“It’s important that we recognise AI upskilling is not only a technical problem. It’s also cultural,” says Daniel Pell, Vice President and Country Manager, UKI at Workday. “In fact, one of the biggest barriers to AI adoption today is trust. This trust gap can only be overcome through clear communication of AI’s use alongside strategic implementation in areas that benefit employees and businesses.”
Pell recommends that this is done through training and upskilling so that employees are given guidance on how to use AI correctly.
“They need to be shown how it works, the use cases it’s suited to, the benefits it offers – as well as a frank look and its limitations. Before rolling the technology out, businesses should start with developing a clear AI approach and guidelines.”
The rewards, Pell says, are manifold for both businesses and employees: “Whether you’re a HR professional completing onboarding forms week after week, an accountant manually scrubbing data at the end of a quarter, or an IT leader fixing a recurring glitch, a lot of work today is repetitive. By taking on these mundane tasks, AI can help employees across a huge variety of roles focus on more impactful, innovative and rewarding work.
“This is important for two key reasons. First, we know that employees feel at least a quarter of each working day is unproductive. AI could take on uninteresting work to help employees use that time more effectively. Second, the biggest barrier to productivity, according to our AI & Productivity research, is low engagement. By empowering everyone to focus on the work they truly enjoy and that makes a difference to the business, we can boost engagement across the board. In turn, organisations will become more productive.”
Workday’s latest research indicates that AI’s potentially transformative impact on productivity could unlock £119 billion worth of productivity annually across UK large enterprises and save individual employees 737 hours, the equivalent of 92 working days per year.
While the economic impact of AI is easily quantifiable, Pell also suggests that a more structured approach to AI adoption may also bolster productivity in terms of flexibility.
“That could mean offering more choice over working hours or even implementing a shorter working week – which recent trials suggest can offer its own benefits,” he adds. “However, such initiatives aren’t suited to all organisations – it’s up to each business to determine how they implement AI and what they do with the productivity boost it can offer.”
But what can you do if the company you work for is resisting AI, and isn’t open to exploring how it can benefit productivity and output?
3 roles hiring across the UK
- Engineering Manager – Software, GE Aviation, Eastleigh
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Taking matters into your own hands and upskilling in your own time is one solution—the University of Oxford’s Artificial Intelligence Programme is an online course delivered over six weeks and requires 10 hours of self-paced study per week. Alternatively, Coursera’s AI for Everyone course takes five hours in total to complete online.
However, if your proactive approach to upskilling isn’t being recognised or rewarded, it could be time to start weighing up your career options and looking for a new opportunity in a company that values innovation, and has a more progressive approach to productivity.
This article is part of a partnership with Amply. For partnering opportunities, contact [email protected] or [email protected].
