AI in the Workplace
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has infiltrated our lives in both a personal and professional capacity. There has been much speculation on how AI will take over jobs traditionally done by humans. Although it might instigate the removal of some jobs from the market, it will, on the other hand, create new ones.
The use of AI in the workplace is becoming more widespread. A recent Fusion Digital poll of 1000 Australians revealed that 86% already use AI at work. However, the latest figures from Slack’s Workforce Lab showed that although 49% of workers express enthusiasm for incorporating AI into their workday, only 37% of desk users in Australia are already using AI in their workplace.
The benefits of AI in the workplace
The 2023 Gallup Report on the State of the Global Workplace found that 47% of Australian and New Zealand workers experience stress during most workdays. Many workers believed AI would help reduce their workload, but persistent training and AI trust issues mean many employees are not utilising AI.
The Gallup report shows that many workers focus on completing tasks that could be delegated to AI while putting more high-value tasks, such as innovation and creativity, lower in their priorities. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that the Slack survey found that 71% of desk workers experience burnout at least once a month.
As well as potentially reducing the prevalence of burnout, AI could be utilised by small businesses in the following ways:
Streamlining administration tasks
AI-powered tools can help streamline repetitive administrative tasks such as data entry, appointment scheduling, and email filtering. Using AI in this capacity can be more efficient and accurate while freeing employees to focus on their role’s more critical and creative aspects.
Predictive Analytics
AI can be very useful in quickly analysing large quantities of data and identifying patterns and trends that humans may not detect. Using AI in this way can help businesses optimise their processes, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.
This utilisation could be used to analyse employee feedback and engagement survey results to identify trends and areas of concern. This would allow businesses to proactively address issues and, therefore, help increase employee satisfaction and retention.
Automation
Chatbots are a great example of using AI to complete some more menial and repetitive tasks. Chatbots allow businesses to provide 24/7 instant customer service and support. They also help improve response times and thus reduce costs.
Many businesses using AI to automate repetitive tasks have also seen the added benefit of increased employee productivity and job satisfaction.
Managing the Supply Chain
AI can be used to predict demand and manage inventory, which helps reduce costs, improve delivery times, and increase customer satisfaction.
Personalisation
Using AI to analyse customer data, customers can be provided with personalised recommendations, experiences and offers. Offering a bespoke service in this way can help increase customer loyalty and satisfaction and lead to increased profit.
Likewise, AI systems could recommend personalised employee training programmes based on their job roles, skills gaps, and career aspirations.
Fraud Detection
Businesses can use AI to analyse transactions and immediately identify fraudulent activity. This ability will help to minimise risk and loss.
Disadvantages of using AI
Although AI appears to be beneficial to the workplace, there are a few potential disadvantages to consider,
Over-dependence on Technology
Relying too heavily on AI tools can make businesses vulnerable to cyberattacks and system failures. In addition, it can lead to a degradation of human skills if employees become overly dependent on AI systems and incapable of performing tasks without them. Overuse of AI systems can decrease customer satisfaction and employee engagement.
Deprivation of Human Touch
AI systems lack the human qualities of empathy, emotion and ethical reasoning, which are critical in many work features and, in some sectors, a necessity.
Security and Privacy Concerns
Like all digital technology, AI can be targeted by cyber-attacks and, if compromised, could be used to manipulate data, propagate false information, or cause disruptions across the system. This is also a concern due to the vast quantity of potential personal data that could be mismanaged, leading to privacy breaches and data protection law violations.
Ethical and Bias Issues
If AI is trained on biased datasets, it can exacerbate these biases. If AI makes decisions around recruitment, promotions or terminations within the workplace, these decisions might reflect biases and result in discrimination and unfair treatment of certain groups.
Compliance Issues
Compliance with the laws and regulations surrounding the use of AI can be problematic as they can vary between jurisdictions and industries. It can be particularly challenging because the regulatory bodies struggle to keep up with the speed of technological advancement.
Implementation Issues
The expense of acquiring an AI system, training employees, and maintaining and updating the system might prove challenging for small business owners with limited resources.
Conclusions
Many employees are hindered from using AI to its full potential due to a lack of knowledge and training. The Slack survey found only 5% of workers trusted AI to handle work tasks, and only 13% of desk workers felt that they’d received appropriate training and education to use AI effectively.
Employers who set out to educate and train their employees in using AI empower and teach them to get the most out of it. The Slack survey found that if desk workers in Australia had established permissions for AI use, they were nearly five times more likely to have experimented with AI. Employees trained to use AI were three times more likely to express that AI improved productivity.
Although some employees may resist accepting an AI system due to the fear of their role changing dramatically or job losses, most resistance comes from mistrust in AI’s decisions and the perception that these decisions are not as reliable as human ones, managing the change effectively and ensuring transparent communication about how the AI will be used and its benefits, can help ease concerns.
Overall, increased customer and employee satisfaction benefits have meant that AI has found its place within the workforce. Whether we like it or not, AI is here to stay, and its impact on our lives isn’t slowing down. The best thing to do is embrace it, empower your employees and let AI help your business thrive.
*Disclaimer: AI assisted in writing this article.
