Artificial Intelligence has crossed over into the mainstream. In my house, my daughter and I recently used ChatGPT to brainstorm a campaign slogan for her upcoming run for fifth grade class representative. Meanwhile, across the nation, AI is drawing drawing scrutiny from Congress, setting college faculty on edge, and raising a key question for leaders everywhere: will this help or hurt? As writer and podcaster Derek Thompson says, “Too many people put themselves in one of two camps….they are either in the camp of ‘This is perfect and it’s going to save the world and the future’ or ‘We’re all going to die.’”
As I tend to on most issues—I believe the answer is somewhere in between: AI will offer a whole new constellation of tools and platforms to change the jobs we do, the way we work, and the way we learn—unlocking human potential in ways we haven’t yet fully imagined. But it’s up to today’s leaders to make sure the benefits from those changes are distributed equitably, ensuring that workers whose jobs and skills are most vulnerable to displacement aren’t left behind. Already, we’re seeing a divide between C-suite executives, who say they are already personally using AI tools for work, and workers who are open to learning how to use it, but concerned about whether their organizations will help them build the skills they need.
There’s no doubt that integrating AI into the workplace responsibly, ethically, and equitably will take hard work. If developed and deployed thoughtfully, however—with workers, employers, and communities consulted in the process—AI has the potential to not only change the way we work, but help millions more workers find and flourish in quality jobs. Here are three ways the AI transformation is already helping workers advance:
Expanding the talent search.
Even when unemployment is low, people without four-year degrees often miss out on quality jobs with opportunities for learning and advancement. Skills-first hiring is gaining ground with many employers, but developing new ways to use data to identify the right person for the job—without the overly-simple filter of whether or not a candidate has a bachelor’s degree—can be a heavy and time-consuming lift for talent leaders. AdeptID has developed software that uses machine learning and predictive analytics to better identify talent among the millions of workers who possess in-demand skills and knowledge but do not have a college degree. The company’s model also addresses the bias that some early AI adopters have reported, testing results to see if the algorithm delivers different recommendations by race and gender and disclosing information about its transparency and security practices.
Illuminating career pathways.
AI can also personalize career navigation, connecting a worker’s skills, experiences, and aspirations to opportunities for work, education, and training. AI-based platforms like Eightfold.ai and Gloat take skills-based approaches to help companies recruit from within, matching employee skills to new projects and pathways that can lead to new opportunities within an organization. Extending this skills-first approach deep into organizations and leveraging it to support internal talent mobility helps expand opportunities for workers, especially those who may be interested in, or a good fit for, opportunities that diverge from their current path.
Personalizing the deskless experience.
Deskless workers make up an estimated 80% of the global workforce, but recent data shows this key population is at high risk of feeling disconnected and disengaged from their employers. Using AI communications tools can help companies connect with these critically important employees at both a larger scale, and in more personal ways. Anthill, for example, is a mobile-based communications platform that gives workers round-the-clock access to job- and company-specific information, with features including automatic translation so workers can communicate in whatever language they’re most comfortable.
All of these companies also center equity and anti-bias programming in their work—a must for any organization that aims to use AI to offer opportunities for equitable economic advancement.
Business leaders are right to approach AI integration with care, thought, and caution—its potential and power are transformative, and we need to carefully understand how AI will impact certain jobs and skills differently to help workers and companies fully prepare. But workers are ready and eager to explore the power of AI, and are looking to their organization’s leaders for guidance and training. If leaders center worker voices, offer upskilling and training opportunities, and choose AI-fueled platforms that are grounded in equity, AI isn’t a threat— it’s a fast-moving opportunity to transform the future of work for the better.
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