Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is becoming more prevalent in our society and although there are many early adopters of AI, there is still a very high percentage of people who have reservations about how this type of technology can or could enhance our lives, not only in the workplace but in our everyday lives as well.

What does AI mean for you and your career?

There are so many advantages and benefits when it comes to using artificial intelligence, it drives innovation and creates efficiencies in our everyday lives. Data suggests that incorporating AI into the workplace and making it work for you can have positive impacts. The study found that 59% who were able to harness and leverage AI in the workplace had increased job satisfaction.i

While AI has been used to improve productivity and create efficiencies for businesses for quite some time – think AI chatbot ChatGPT, there is still a strong perception that AI is going to take over every aspect of our jobs and we will all be at risk of being unemployed.

Take the virtual customer service assistant for example, they are so mainstream now (think online banking), that most of us forget what it was like talking directly to a human customer service assistant. However, what might be forgotten is while these chatbots assist with our routine and frequently asked questions, the customer service team is freed up to answer and assist with the more complex enquiries, providing the end client with better service.

When massive technological changes like this occur, it generally frees up people to be able to take on more complex roles. It’s important to note, that we still have a long way to go before it gets to the point where technology will completely replace humans in the workplace.

AI has been around for decades

We’ve actually been using AI for longer than you think. Predictive text on your phone, Google search, and things like Alexi and Siri have been around for many years. So, we’ve been some form of using artificial intelligence for quite some time.

While AI is still ‘relatively’ in its infancy, now is the perfect time to discover what implications AI may have on your career, and how you can start incorporating it into your life and workplace to futureproof yourself both personally and professionally.

Find out if your employer offers any training courses that could help to develop your skills and while the training may not pertain directly to your role, you should consider whether it may improve your other roles in the future.

In the workplace, look for ways you can automate routine tasks to free up more time that allows you to focus on other activities that could be adding more value.

Developing your personal brand

Building and developing your personal brand in a way that differentiates you from others can set you apart from the crowd. Having a strong personal brand can help boost your chances of success if you’re looking for new job opportunities.

Relationships and connectivity are still some of the most important areas in the workplace and will become increasingly more so as AI is not unable to emulate this aspect of our work lives, so focussing on developing your skills in areas like creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence will assist in building your personal brand and future proofing your career.

LinkedIn is the perfect example of how social media can be used to help develop your personal brand on a professional level. This channel provides networking opportunities you wouldn’t ordinarily have in the workplace, allowing you to connect and collaborate with others to learn and develop even further.

Another option is to invest in courses outside of work. If you think aspects of your job could eventually be replaced by AI, do your homework and find ways to upskill or reskill in other areas.

Harnessing AI opportunities

AI is a powerful tool and with the constant development and advancement of this technology, understanding its full potential in the workplace should be embraced more broadly. As we’ve seen with the small steps being taken to create driverless cars, artificial intelligence can only make our lives easier.

i https://tech.co/news/business-attitudes-ai-workplace

 

Photo by Tara Winstead