The Rise of the AI Colleague: Friend or Foe?
You know what they say: Keep your friends close and your artificially intelligent colleagues closer. That seems to be the new mantra for those of us navigating the ever-changing landscape of AI in the workplace.
Take Dean Meadowcroft, for example. Once upon a time, he was a copywriter in a small marketing department, happily churning out press releases, social media posts, and other content. That is, until his firm introduced an AI system to “assist”him and his fellow humans in their work.
AI: Speedy Gonzalez or Mediocre Marvin?
The idea was that the AI would work alongside human copywriters to streamline the process. But according to Meadowcroft, the AI’s work left much to be desired: “It just kind of made everybody sound middle of the road, on the fence, and exactly the same, and therefore nobody really stands out.”Ouch. However, the AI was fast – what might take a human copywriter up to 90 minutes, the AI could whip up in 10 minutes or less.
And just like that, four months after the AI’s introduction, Meadowcroft and his team found themselves laid off. He can’t be certain, but he’s pretty sure the AI replaced them. “I did laugh-off the idea of AI replacing writers, or affecting my job, until it did,”he admitted.
AI Creeping into Every Corner
The world of AI has rapidly expanded since OpenAI launched its human-like ChatGPT last year. Even tech giants like Microsoft and Google are scrambling to launch their own systems, with Google introducing Bard in March. With these systems being trained on the vast ocean of data available online, it’s no wonder people are starting to worry about job security.
Goldman Sachs reported earlier this year that AI could potentially replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs. The impact wouldn’t be equal across industries, but it’s still a chilling thought.
Rebirth, Retraining, and Resilience
Despite the looming AI threat, some companies are finding ways to adapt and evolve. IKEA, for example, has retrained 8,500 call center staff as design advisers since 2021, with 47% of customer calls now handled by an AI called Billie. It’s a brave new world, indeed.
However, a recent survey by Boston Consulting Group found that a third of workers polled worldwide are worried about being replaced by AI, with frontline staff more concerned than managers. Jessica Apotheker from BGC believes the fear stems from a lack of familiarity with the technology.
AI: Coming Soon to a Workplace Near You
Whether we like it or not, it seems AI is here to stay – and it’s creeping into our workplaces, one job at a time. Alejandro Graue, a voiceover artist, lost work to an AI system last year, only to see viewers complain about the AI-generated voice’s quality. While the experiment failed, Graue remains concerned about the technology’s inevitable improvements.
As for Meadowcroft, he’s found a new path working for an employee assistance provider, now incorporating AI into his job. “I think that is where the future is for AI, giving quick access to human-led content, as opposed to completely eliminating that human aspect,”he says.
Let’s hope he’s right. Because if we can’t beat ’em, we might as well join ’em – or at least learn to coexist peacefully.
