How artificial intelligence (AI) will change the way we work
This edition of Leadership Anywhere is an edited version of the article I wrote on the Remote-First Institute - you can read the full version here.
If you are not been living under a rock in the last 3 months, you've probably heard about the boom in AI.
AI will fundamentally change how we work.
But it is still early to see how.
Still, I wanted to highlight 5 trends in the future of work that I am pretty sure will take a hit from AI.
Before we dive in, we need to talk a bit about what I mean by AI.
It is important since this is a new trend, and some people just throw the word AI on anything without logic.
AI is a tool that does two things amazingly:
First, it takes massive data, analyzes it, and throws it back at us.
It can be text (copywriting with AI)
It can be visuals (images done by AI)
It can be audio (music by AI)
It can be raw data (datasets by AI)
Or the combo of all of the above
Second, it can automate stuff.
Bots, assistants.
Activities, flows, processes.
The bottom line is that AI helps with analysis and automation.
Does this mean AI will do our work, collaboration, documentation, meetings, and all?
No. But there are certain areas where we will see more AI.
You better be prepared for them.
Problem-solving > problem-analyzation
AI will do most of the analytics part of our jobs.
Data mining, data science (simple versions first), and data building, most of these will be AI-related flows.
As with anything regarding AI, you will need the human element of prompt engineers. Someone has to make the hypothesis - bots can't do that (yet).
But we won't need most of the people who are working with data now.
On the other hand, problem-solving will become a valued skill.
Human prompters will be the future of problem-solvers.
And problem-solving requires creativity.
Creativity > technology
I'm a dinosaur, so I remember when we had "big ideas" in the ad world.
I also remember when we over-technologized the creative process.
Everything became a template. Generalized design, structures, ideas, and copy all lost the creative spark.
Everything became a SaaS. Everything became a hack.
Creative companies became tech companies. It was a sad, grey, conformist change in the world.
With the introduction of AI to the picture, this process will look like you would have put oil on the fire.
Literally, all platforms will feature AI-generated content. It will happen this year but will fully blow out next.
I am 100% sure that people will get enough of that. And I am also 100% sure that because of that, creativity will win back the seat.
Unique but still AI-supported content will win the day.
Those who can provide the spark, the flaring edge in their work, will outcompete the army of templates.
People analytics - get ready
Human resources - bye-bye
HR today = paperwork organized for in-out flux + internal development on skills & culture.
I am sorry to inform you, but that will go out of the window.
Actually, it will be one of the first functions in any company to be diluted to a couple of HR prompters & operations managers, and that's it.
Some people-first activities will stay as providing people-to-people training, and L&D will still be necessary, but the rest is bye-bye.
And it will be a so much better world! Why?
The AI doesn't care who you are. It is naturally inclusive, unbiased, performance-focused, and can be automated.
Remember when you asked for a raise, and HR told you that 'you are not there yet' for whatever sloppy reason?
If the performance is there, the AI will give the raise on autopilot, not even reading your name, not to mention your race, gender, etc. And the list can go on.
On the other hand, people analytics will take over most of the decision-making parts. All will be supported and sometimes auto-done by AI.
Measuring your team performance with data? Great!
Share the figures across your team.
Let the AI highlight and promote people based on the data.
Let the AI recommend and implement better work processes based on the data.
Employee experience will be a much more open, transparent, data-focused, unbiased, inclusive, and seamless experience with AI.
Async hiring
The special breed within HR is the recruitment industry.
Recruitment won't be a booming industry in the future, sorry.
AI will help recruiters to create async hiring processes.
Scanning through 1,000 applicants by looking at their CVs? No need for people to do that - a bot can do it.
Screening call with 100 applicants a month? No need for people to do that - a bot can do it async.
People need to intervene on two occasions:
Configuring the AI for the particular recruitment needs (prompting)
Checking candidates that passed the AI screening
That, by the way, eliminates at least 80% of the workload for recruiters (which means we won't need 80% of the current recruitment workforce).
The era of horizontal & transparent organizations
With all the direct hits we will have with AI, there will be a massive indirect hit on the overall landscape of organizations.
Everything will be more flat and transparent.
Why?
AI will automate most of the monitoring, analysis, and team-based processes.
Therefore, those whose job was to monitor, analyze, and direct teams (mid-managers) will experience a massive shift in their work.
With the advancement of AI, bots will outcompete mid-management fast.
Because it is the mid-management that makes organizations hierarchical and blocked, eliminating their need will allow us to see more horizontal and transparent businesses.
Ok, but what's the escape route for them?
The answer is simple: mid-management needs to improve on the abovementioned much-needed skills.
Promlem-solving. Creativity. People-first.
The role of mid-management will be a support role. Supporting the team with people-first skills and the efficiency of the AI with operational prompting.
It is almost funny if you think about this. With the introduction of a non-human element, AI, organizations become more people-first and transparent.
Creativity, empathy, understanding, supportive mentorship, collaboration, facilitation, and people-first value creation.
These are the skills that will be required in the future - aside from AI prompt engineering, of course.
Companies investing in L&D to upskill these skills will win the long game.
What do you think? How will AI change the future of work?
Peter
