Daphne Kis, CEO, WorldQuant University.
It’s a pattern. Each time a new technology begins to evolve the ways in which humans use their bodies and minds, people get scared.
The emergence of easy-access AI has the business world talking in extremes: replacement, obsolescence and layoffs. These are important conversations to consider and are part of a complex set of issues that face the workforce. However, one thing is clear: businesses on the cusp of successful adoption and integration of AI systems can bring their employees along with them instead of firing and rehiring. Reskilling can start inside the company itself.
We saw this before when Millennials entered the workforce as the world’s first “digital natives.” Some older workers were bothered or even threatened by their different styles of communication, collaboration methods and basic “wiring.”
Now that Millennials have outnumbered Baby Boomers in the workforce, I believe that reskilling the workforce was the key to making the shift from analog to digital. As machine learning and AI permeate everyday life, we could eventually see another generational shift in the workforce: a tidal wave of young adults who have grown up using AI to get things done.
In some ways, it’s already here. The emergence of ChatGPT and other similar programs initially brought about pedagogical panic, as students celebrated its emergence by using it as a tool to write essays and problem-solve for late-night cram sessions.
Schools are quickly recognizing the possibilities of this new interactive tool and beginning to creatively integrate AI into existing lesson plans by teaching students to use it for research, critical thinking skills and more engaging discussion practices. As a result, many companies are revamping educational approaches and adding new forms of inquiry-based learning and AI. For instance, there are now AI writing tutors and grading assistants. Additionally, Cherie Shields, a teacher in Oregon, used ChatGPT (paywall) as a writing tool for her high school English class. She asked students to use ChatGPT to create an outline for an essay, then write their essays themselves. This lesson gave students the opportunity to learn about interacting with AI models.
It’s only a matter of time before these AI Natives enter the workforce armed with knowledge of how to integrate AI into their workflows. There’s no need for existing businesses to panic at this thought; the curve toward AI reliance creates a unique opportunity for companies to start reskilling their employees now.
Transformation At The Speed Of Business
The AI wave is moving quickly. According to a 2019 Accenture survey, 84% of C-suite executives said they needed to leverage AI to achieve their growth objectives, yet 76% of them also admitted they have a hard time figuring out how to scale AI use.
As of 2023, AI-powered tools are not just cutting-edge technology for high-performing companies. For many companies, they’re essential to remaining competitive. In my opinion, generative AI will not be the job destroyer that many feared. However, it creates an urgent need for businesses to update their approaches to how they prepare their employees for the future.
The foundations that power user-friendly generative AI can be applied to marketing and sales, operations, IT, engineering and other crucial elements of business, leaving workers free to create their own paths to success. The emergence of no-code/low-code AI platforms allows workers to create AI-powered apps and programs via drag and drop or through small amounts of specific code for endless customization. Google’s Teachable Machine, for example, allows people to easily create machine learning models.
While access and use of AI-powered tools are accelerating, reskilling efforts lag at many companies. There’s no substitute for experiential learning, and reskilling current workers to understand and effectively use AI in their daily practice can be a cost-effective way to prepare a business to stay competitive without having to deal with a lot of expensive turnovers.
Because AI will likely touch every aspect of future business, assembling a diverse range of programs and offerings that meet both business requirements and employee needs will be essential. Luckily, employees are already aware of the need for reskilling. In fact, in a survey from Workplace Intelligence and Amazon, 83% of employees reported that improving their skills is one of their top priorities.
We Know What Works
Reskilling programs that rely on one method of instruction are often not effective. Employees should be able to choose from a variety of instructional methods, from experiential learning to self-directed online courses.
Leaders don’t need to look far for good examples of companies successfully helping their workforce integrate AI into their workflows. Intuit, like many others, employs a multi-pronged approach (paywall) that begins with simple programming about AI. They started with early-adopter lunch sessions that expanded into online courses. Those interested in further reskilling in AI processes can choose to take part in boot camps and apprenticeship programs.
Some companies hire instructional designers with AI experience to create company-specific training. Others, like Salesforce, have built entire learning management systems to track worker progress and offer additional instruction when necessary. They also use programs like Talent Alliance to connect partner companies to qualified workers looking for jobs.
These programs pay off. At one point in 2021, 80% of new hires (paywall) in Bank of America’s technology and operations unit were internal staff members. The bank’s bold investment in reskilling existing staff helped it thrive while the labor market was intensely competitive during Covid-19.
As AI-powered technology becomes more and more ubiquitous, the ways in which we incorporate it into our lives could become more and more transformative. AI has the potential to transform and create new human experiences, so why shouldn’t work be one of them?
Over 30 years ago, businesses began their digital transformations and learned valuable lessons about reskilling, training and maintaining a dynamic workforce in the face of widespread technological change. Leaders should build on that experience as AI goes mainstream. Fortunately, leaders can also draw from myriad reskilling case studies to accelerate the buildout of their own programs as the AI era sets in.
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