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Happy Friday, folks,
On a personal level, I’ve started dedicating 10% of my time to working on AI and the future of work, and I’ve started working with several organizations in Sweden, the UK, and the US on how to make this shift.
Need help? Reach out.
I’ve also started a new secret project…perhaps the biggest and most scary project I’ve ever started. 😱
Pinching my arm every day about the opportunities given and all the fun, creative, and intelligent people I get to meet while doing this.
Lastly, I’m incredibly thankful to my employer, who has allowed me to do this.
But enough of that - let’s get on to today’s post.
A LinkedIn post this week got me fired up on all cylinders.
It's not that I haven’t spoken about this before; I have on several occasions, but I think the discussion is still lacking and that there are perspectives that we in HR need to have.
Ever since I first tried ChatGPT, I've been confident it will impact our work.
I'm not alone in this conclusion and today it's not even a spectacular opinion to have.
The Future of Jobs report from the World Economic Forum pointed this out a year ago, and Oliver Wyman's report from earlier this year concludes that our jobs will be impacted.
But as I wrote in the article "This is fine, says HR as AI takes their job," it's not going to be an on-and-off event where we suddenly become unemployed.
The change is happening slowly, and evidence of AI's impact on HR is already visible.
AI-powered resume screening tools are streamlining recruitment for many companies. Learning platforms with personalized AI recommendations are enhancing employee training and development. Organizations are even experimenting with AI for more objective performance evaluations and coaching.
And that is our opportunity as HR professionals.
We have a unique chance to lead this AI revolution and shape a future that celebrates both technological progress and human potential. By taking ownership of AI integration from the start, we can ensure it uplifts the human experience at work while driving efficiency.
This is why I'm so keen that we in HR lean in and guide this transition.
If you've taken my course or listened to me in a webinar or during a conference in the last year, you've heard me repeatedly say that we need to take ownership of implementing AI in our organizations.
Why?
Because we understand what makes up the fabric of a company. We can't just hand over the reins to the IT department or someone else; we, the guardians of organizational culture, must be deeply embedded in this process.
The same goes for the societal level.
When it comes to integrating AI into the fabric of our society, we can't just have a bunch of tech nerds and policymakers hashing it out behind closed doors.
We need to try to influence our policymakers and politicians here as well.
Not only do they shape the next generation of workers, but they also influence our workplaces through laws and regulations.
How do we ensure that they understand how AI is impacting our organizations today and in the future? It's easy to deem this "someone else's" problem, but who will rise to the occasion if not us? Who else is responsible for ensuring our organizations thrive in terms of economic and human growth? We have that lens and those perspectives, and we need to start those discussions with our politicians and policymakers.
This shift will undoubtedly bring opportunities to make our organizations more efficient. The big question is: what can we do with that efficiency?
Will we simply let go of people, exacerbating the already concerning burnout levels where 1 in 4 workers report experiencing symptoms?
Or will AI be part of the solution, allowing us to better balance workloads and prioritize employee well-being?
I've yet to meet a CEO who isn't keen on increasing shareholder value, and that is as it should be.
But many CEOs also look at efficiency from a single point of view: that it always means layoffs. It's not strange, either. That's the lever CEOs have been pushing for the last 200 years.
Here, we in HR must step in and provide our multitude of perspectives rooted in behavioral sciences.
Because what happens with our employer brand if all we do is fire people as AI drives efficiency?
How likely will we be able to hire and retain top talent for the roles still requiring human ingenuity?
What will happen to the culture if we replace co-workers with AI without careful planning?
How will that impact the organization's fabric and soul?
These are critical questions easily overlooked but pivotal to ponder.
In essence, this is why I implore you, my fellow HR professionals, to embrace our responsibility in this AI revolution.
We are the architects of the future workforce, and it is our role to guide this transformation with vision and determination. Let us create a future of work that is more efficient, productive, and fundamentally human-centric.
A future where AI enhances human potential rather than replaces it.
By taking the lead now, we can shape a reality that balances technological advancements with our core values of culture, well-being, and personal growth.
This is not something that will potentially happen or is likely to happen 5-10 years from now. It might not have occurred in your organization yet, but it is happening in organizations around you.
When enough organizations communicate what they are doing with AI, or they start attributing their increased quarterly earnings to AI or, hopefully, talk about how they lowered burnout through AI, you can be pretty certain your CEO will come running to you.
Are you prepared for that?