Karen Hill, CHRO at Otis College of Art and Design. Focused on the future of work, values-based leadership, and the power of reinvention.
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In 1950, A.M. Turing, a computer scientist and philosopher, wrote about the intersection of people and machines. He stated, “I propose to consider the question, 'Can machines think?'” Chilean psychoanalyst Ignacio Matte Blanco said that human intelligence is not one-dimensional but a combination of reasoning and emotion. How effectively can technology really think and what are the implications of that process on reasoning/emotion? This question is now a genuine consideration of business and one in which disruptive change occurs in the workplace.
Change is standard fare in all work environments. Leadership turnover, realignment of strategic priorities, further linkages to social issues and navigating a pandemic have all been recent occurrences that chief executive officers (CEOs) and chief human resource officers (CHROs) have been confronted with in recent years and have all resulted in disruptions in the employer/employee relationship. As a result of these changing circumstances, a shift is occurring in the workplace that will likely transform how work is accomplished and by whom or by what.
Artificial intelligence (AI) represents a disrupter in the workplace. Before moving on to what AI could mean in terms of change in the workplace, let’s start with a couple of definitions.
• Artificial: humanly contrived, lacking in natural or spontaneous quality, imitation, sham
• Intelligence: the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one’s environment or to think abstractly
You could say that AI equates to a machine imitating intelligent human behavior with reasoning and comprehension that may soon parallel that of humans.
In the last several months, there have been numerous news stories about ChatGPT, other AI tools and the relative pros and cons of utilizing this type of system in the workplace. So what does this mean for human resources, and how soon could change happen?
As CEOs and CHROs know, the “announcement” of change in the workplace can take many forms. A written announcement from a CEO about a reorganization, market direction shift or, in the case of AI, a technology disrupter, are all ways that a change is signaled to the workforce.
The continuum of change happens over time and can increase as the workforce becomes committed to that change. The stages of change that I have experienced in business are as follows:
• Denial regarding what is happening and doubt about what is known
• Anger regarding possible negative effects
• Hopeful engagement upon learning more
• Testing of outcomes as a part of education
• Acceptance of the change
The speed at which a person moves through these stages is unique and can be influenced by an organization’s culture. What can be said is that the speed of adoption of the AI tool ChatGPT has been faster than any app to date.
We are at the beginning of exploring ways in which the incorporation of AI can transform the workplace. The positive perspective includes potential benefits such as:
• Improving the talent acquisition process
• Increasing efficiency and productivity by assuming routine tasks
• Augmenting human interactions
• Acting as a platform to synthesize large amounts of information
Leaders in the business space are concerned about the possibility of job displacement and governance issues as AI tools increase in popularity. A recent report from Goldman Sachs indicates that AI might possibly replace almost 300 million jobs worldwide in the future. Other concerns around bias, transparency, security, privacy and ethics all speak to the importance of a change management governance structure that incorporates what CEOs and CHROs already know about change models, leadership transformation and talent management. Here is some of what CEOs and CHROs will need to partner on to move through the denial, doubt and anger phases of change:
• Intentionally prepare and plan for the utilization of AI
• Consider education for employees about the future of work and adaptation tools
• Embed a resilient growth mindset in the business culture
• Encourage a sense of community and purpose
• Embrace change and uncertainty
• Foster a sense of curiosity about learning and development emphasizing independent critical thinking
• Build a workforce that is technology savvy
• Implement evaluation milestones and open communication channels to discuss concerns, impact and future of AI tools
I have heard many people say change is good. Change is different and the value judgment on AI is yet to be determined and will evolve quickly.
“We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.” —Epictetus
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