How Artificial Intelligence Will Reshape the Workplace in 2019 and Beyond

5 ways AI may be a friend – not a foe – of human workers

Mention artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace and reactions are polarized. Some embrace it as a game-changing benefit, taking over the performance of mundane, repetitive tasks so resources are free to focus on more strategic, value-creating activities. But others fear AI will create a virtual workforce of machines that edge out human workers.

Here’s the thing: business advancements in AI can’t be stopped and smart technologies aren’t just changing our personal lives, they’re transforming the way work is done in many industries. There’s no denying their impact on efficiency, accuracy, and overall productivity levels. The valuable data and complex reactions AI provides in seconds lead to faster, better-informed decisions and are helping to innovate new products and services.

There will be some displacement of jobs as this new reality takes hold – but when the dust settles, there is always going to be a strong need for skills that are uniquely human, such as creativity, innovation, collaboration, emotional intelligence, and empathy in customer service. In fact, a World Economic Forum report estimates that while 75 million jobs may initially be displaced by AI and automation technologies, 133 million new roles will be created – leading to a net of 58 million new jobs on the market by 2022.

In 2019, it’s the combination of artificial and human intelligence that’s reshaping the workplace, giving workers a new tool that helps them do their jobs better. In fact, by 2022 Gartner predicts that one in five workers engaged in non-routine tasks will rely on AI to do their jobs.

Let’s take a look at five ways AI is expected to transform the business landscape:

1. Talent Acquisition. With an average of 250 resumes received for every corporate job posting, it’s no surprise that the initial pilot of artificial intelligence within a company is often in talent acquisition. And companies are reporting significant, measurable, and immediate results in reducing time to hire, improving recruiters’ productivity, and delivering a better candidate experience.

Consider this: When DBS Bank debuted a virtual recruitment bot dubbed JIM (Jobs Intelligence Maestro) in May 2018, its talent acquisition department was able to shorten the screening time of candidates from 32 to 8 minutes and improve the completion rate of job applications from 85 to 97 percent. JIM also is able to respond to a whopping 96 percent of candidate queries. All of this frees human recruiters to spend more time on higher-value work such as recruitment marketing, engaging with candidates, and sourcing.

In other words, AI is streamlining the recruiting process but at the end of the day, it’s humans that will continue to make decisions about hiring.

2.  Productivity. Machines never take breaks, so it goes without saying that implementing AI to perform certain tasks will enable companies to get more done and experience less downtime But the tireless performance of tasks isn’t the only boost to productivity that’s expected.

Traditional workplace practices like scouring intricate reports on spreadsheets and spending entire days repeatedly answering the same queries can leave employees unmotivated and result in low productivity. If these monotonous tasks are automated, employees are free to focus on more important and interesting work, offering the double benefit of adding value to the company while improving engagement. An Accenture report predicts that AI will increase labor productivity by 40 percent and help employees make more efficient use of their time.

AI can also monitor productivity levels, delivering vital information about the root cause of increasing costs, poor performance, and staffing issues. It can detect failing parts in machinery as well – enabling operators to respond proactively before equipment breaks down and stops facilities from running.

3.  Employee training. The emergence of AI coaching tools has the potential to make employee training considerably more cost-effective in 2019. Instead of hiring expensive trainers, these products may help employees enhance their task-completion capabilities by observing how they work and coaching them on efficiency optimization – often in real-time.

4.  Data analytics and problem-solving. Stockpiling mountains of data means nothing if it isn’t cleaned and analyzed properly for insights that can lead to better decision-making. AI can accurately evaluate incoming data streams with speed and accuracy that humans could never achieve. That also holds true for cyber threats, dramatically improving workplace cybersecurity with the ability to instantly and effectively spot threats.AI’s data analytics can also make problem-solving more meaningful by providing information that offers a deeper understanding of situations. For instance, AI-powered solutions can help human resource departments monitor employee compensation for pay discrepancies based on protected categories like gender or race. They can also be invaluable in gathering data in employee-related lawsuits that paint an accurate picture of a situation, such as GPS data on work trucks, communications about assignments, and cellphone and login information.

5.  New jobs. As AI becomes more widespread in the business world, companies are realizing that creating an AI-ready workforce delivers a competitive advantage. That starts with upskilling workers to learn how to work with the technology. Creating new jobs that pair AI with human intelligence is also expected to become a priority within the C-suite this year.

Two reports from the Center for the Future of Work at Cognizant Technology Solutions detail AI-related roles expected to emerge between now and 2029. They range from AI Trainer (making existing knowledge about a job ready for AI to use) to Voice UX Designer (leveraging voice as a platform to deliver an optimal dialect and sound) to Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer (developing strategies to ensure AI is used ethically and mitigate fears).

AI has great power and potential to transform the business landscape, changing how work is done and reinforcing the unique role of people to drive growth.

But at the end of the day, even AI like machine learning is based upon predetermined algorithms that rely on conditions and scenarios. Factors such as emotional reactions influence outcomes and require a degree of human judgment. This is why, despite how good AI winds up getting, the human touch and a little bit of “art” will still be required for tasks like finding great employees.

To learn more about how to implement HR solutions that benefit your employees and improve your bottom line, contact Karp HR Solutions today for a free consultation.