The significant impact of generative AI on company productivity has been evident in the last 12 months. According to Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index, 70 percent of individuals express their willingness to delegate as much work as possible to AI in order to reduce their workloads. However, there is also a global concern, with 49 percent of people fearing that AI will soon replace their jobs, a number that increases to 58 percent in the APAC region.

The apprehension about job obsolescence is widespread, overshadowing the enthusiasm for the technology. Instead of approaching generative AI with fear and anxiety, I believe we should address the issue with a more empowering perspective.

AI will replace tasks, not jobs

It is important to understand that there is a high level of fear-mongering suggesting that AI will completely replace human jobs in the near future. Recent high-profile layoffs in the tech industry have reinforced the belief that people are being substituted by digital counterparts, a sentiment that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic-induced economic downturn. However, many of these tech companies are trying to balance their workforce after overstaffing during the pandemic to meet the increase in digitalization.

According to the 2023 Work Trend Index, most business leaders intend to use AI to enhance employee productivity, not to reduce the workforce. Priorities include automating repetitive but essential tasks, eliminating low-value activities, and enhancing the abilities of current staff to accelerate the speed and quality of their output. I firmly believe that AI will be employed to replace tasks and not entire jobs.

Upskilling new generations

A study by Salesforce from last year revealed that 65 percent of generative AI users are Millennials or Gen Z, while 68 percent of non-users are Gen X or Baby Boomers. The reluctance to embrace AI can be attributed to unfamiliarity, perceived lack of usefulness, and uncertainty about the benefits it offers.

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Despite many generative AI integrations still requiring human input, the professional experience of Gen X and Baby Boomers gives them an advantage over Gen Z in terms of subject matter expertise, enabling them to exercise better judgment.

In Singapore, the SkillsFuture (SSG) movement, a government initiative aimed at upskilling the workforce, recently introduced its LevelUp program to encourage individuals aged 40 and above to secure their careers by acquiring new skills. Upskilling in today’s competitive environment, particularly with the introduction of new technologies, is no longer a luxury but a necessity to remain relevant in the job market.

Coordinating AI agents in an integrated workplace

Instead of having one AI completely replace one job, individuals may have multiple AI agents performing specific tasks in various parts of their workflow. In 2023, AI applications were introduced to the public, and enterprise solutions have become a rapidly growing area of demand that tech giants like NVIDIA are eager to lead. With appropriate training, I believe that workers who can translate their domain knowledge and processes into AI agents for specific tasks will unlock significant productivity gains.

Ensuring safety and security in AI usage

As businesses integrate AI technology, there is a growing emphasis on responsible practices and vigilant oversight to prevent sensitive and proprietary data from being compromised.

While regulators worldwide are developing guidelines for AI usage, organizations should be prepared by appointing a qualified Data and AI Governance officer, or team, to implement AI with robust frameworks to ensure staff compliance with evolving regulations.

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Establishing an AI Usage Policy is a good initial step to govern how employees can use AI within ethical privacy boundaries, especially when general users in the company utilize public tools for specialized queries and document analysis or creation.

Embracing a co-intelligence approach to AI usage

Productivity and governance are key themes in the era of enterprise generative AI adoption. While there is understandable concern about job displacement, the reality is that AI is more likely to replace tasks rather than entire roles.

Adopting this technology requires a shift in mindset towards continuous upskilling, ensuring that individuals have the necessary expertise and oversight to be the human supervisor in an AI-enabled workforce.

As Ethan Mollick, Professor at the Wharton School and author of Co-intelligence, suggests, we should see AI as co-intelligence. In my view, the benefits it brings will enable workers to achieve higher levels of productivity. It would be a disservice to oneself to take a negative stance when there are opportunities to seize.

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This article was initially published on April 30, 2024

The post AI: Boon or bane? Workers fear job loss despite productivity gains appeared first on e27.