Scott Hoots is the CEO of QC Kinetix, a leader in the regenerative medicine industry.
Seems every time we turn around, we’re being bombarded with the latest technology designed to streamline our lives. The inherent challenge we face is the learning curve as we navigate best practices utilizing these advancements. Innovations like artificial intelligence (AI) are being introduced so quickly that once we comprehend one concept, it seems like it’s already obsolete.
But we’ve been down this road before. Just a few decades ago, computers, the internet and cell phones were a new reality. The inculcation, getting the hang of having information at our fingertips from the World Wide Web, was trailblazing for many of us. Here we go again.
As our world changes, businesses are acclimating to the new technologies like generative AI or large language models (LLMs), the most renowned being ChatGPT. Usage of this technology was popular out of the gate and continues to attract an estimated 96 million visitors per month. I’ve been using ChatGPT for several months now and find it a fascinating way to perform tasks.
Job Security
Certainly, there are concerns about AI outperforming all of us. The World Economic Forum predicts that tech innovation and automation will displace 85 million jobs by 2025. Perhaps a more accurate statement is that these jobs might be repositioned. The outlook is that 97 million new roles are expected to be created as we adapt to this technology.
I believe the potential proliferation of human job creation from AI will continue to generate as the technology advances. For college kids looking for a major area of study or those looking for a career change, the money is on innovations in AI. In the recently published World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023, jobs involving AI are among the emerging careers built as a consequence of the new technology. Examining the numbers, the Forum believes there will be a 40% increase in AI and machine learning specialists by 2027, a 30-35% rise in demand for roles such as data analysts and scientists, and a 31% increase in demand for information security analysts. In total, this could mean up to 2.6 million jobs created by AI.
In the meantime, there are jobs that humans are uniquely qualified to do. A recent BBC article points out three sectors of jobs that a bot can’t touch. There is a mix of blue-collar and white-collar jobs and the common factor at the core are jobs that possess soft skills—people skills.
1. Jobs that require deep-level thinking, problem-solving, reasoning and creativity can provide job security. Experts say these are careers that possess a strategic component and include professions like lawyers, judges, scientists and doctors. Within these professions, there are duties that can be handed off to a bot, like preparing legal briefs or coding, but the power to generate original ideas and evoke emotions is reserved for humans. AI does what it’s programmed to do, and while its skills are vast, it lacks human intuition.
2. The next grouping involves jobs with pronounced interpersonal communication and relationship building. These are personalized services that require human interaction, like healthcare professionals, therapists and social workers. Think about nurses and the level of comfort they provide to their patients who are scared and sick. A bot cannot provide empathy or understand human needs.
3. We learned during the pandemic how strong trades are. Jobs in construction or other skilled trades like plumbers and electricians require adaptability in various environments where AI is incapable of such adaptability. And while, yes, we see bots utilized in professions like food service, streamlining the more mundane meal preparation tasks in the kitchen, creating and tasting recipes are unique qualities of a human chef.
AI Solutions
Frankly, I find that AI has the potential to be the bright spot the workforce has been hoping for. The Work Trend Index Annual Report creates a feeling of optimism. With humans concerned about the ability to keep up with the enormity of their workloads, AI is the paradigm of an unsung hero. Nearly 68% of workers polled say they are so overloaded with work that they don’t have enough uninterrupted, focused time in their workday to be efficient. Here’s the rub: Although 49% are concerned about losing their job to AI, 70% would delegate as much work as possible to AI to lessen their workloads. As one expert points out in the study, this could be the answer to employee burnout.
Here’s how you, as a leader, can masterfully marry the concept of humans and bots interacting in the workplace:
• Communicate. Let your team know how AI will be used in your business. Admit that there will be some jobs that are more efficiently handled with AI, and now is the time to build new skill sets that could catapult workers into new roles.
• Manage the technology. Ensure your workforce knows the capabilities of AI and how to use it. AI is a tool, not a takeover. Training will be necessary to upskill your team, depending on the applications you need for your organization.
• Stay engaged. Work side by side with your staff, engaging in new opportunities and allowing them to take the lead. Engagement and ownership will squash fears of AI replacing jobs.
Staying Open To New Ideas
I’m all about innovation. As the CEO of a regenerative medicine franchise, cutting-edge breakthroughs that improve people’s lives are the essence of our business. At the core of what we do is a provider-patient relationship built on trust. That hands-on, personal touch will never change. But, being open to new science and technologies can put leaders in a position to create a better quality of life for people. That’s why I welcome ideas like AI; because when used purposely and properly, it will remove the tasks that often bog us down, opening opportunities for us as humans to do what we do best—think, create and be sentient.
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