Over a third (35%) of global companies admit to using Artificial Intelligence (AI) within their business, according to data, with a further 42% reporting that they are exploring the use of this at present.
And in the UK specifically, roughly one in six organisations are embracing the use of AI in the workplace, according to GOV.UK.
It goes without saying that AI’s enormous capabilities are applicable to a range of sectors and industries, offering the opportunity for businesses to streamline their working processes in order to create a more efficient output.
For employees though, the trend of AI within the workplace and its capacities cause many to question whether their jobs are safe.
This is unsurprising considering that Goldman Sachs recently revealed that as many as 300 million jobs worldwide could be affected by it, with 7% at risk of being replaced entirely by the technology.
In fact, the use of AI has concerned employees so much so that a survey has shown that almost half (49%) worry that AI will steal their jobs. Alongside this, there was a 294% increase in searches for “Is AI going to take my job?” over September this year alone, according to Google search engine data.
However, there is no doubt that AI is here to stay and whilst it may be difficult to silence doubts, Virtual College by Netex believes that although it has advanced rapidly in recent months, it still lacks one thing – a human touch.
Sarah Baker, the Managing Director of the online learning provider, states that “whilst AI has revolutionised the working world, one thing that this technology will never have is our individual, human way of thinking.”
In line with this, research by Bottled Imagination, a Digital PR and Content Marketing Agency, decided to put AI to the test to see if it was fit to work within its company. The AI fulfilled the same working tasks much like any one of its employees, but it failed its probationary period due to lacking any creativity or originality.
“This is unsurprising”, states Baker, “as AI is synonymous with objectivity. The results that it produces are based on algorithms and programming, which lacks subjectivity and therefore the ever so brilliant elements of human thinking that stimulate our emotions and make us ultimately connect more strongly with things we come across in our everyday lives.”
So, it seems that whilst humans may be able to complete all of the same tasks that AI can, AI still lacks the human touch that comes naturally to all of us. For those working in roles that require creativity, therefore, human intervention is a must whilst working with this technology, and it’s likely that AI won’t be taking over your role anytime soon.
And given that AI is sticking around for the foreseeable future, employees should embrace its uses in their working roles if they can. But rather than using it in more common ways, such as streamlining working processes and cutting down on time spent on tasks, Baker urges employees to turn to the applications it has to learn and grow in their role.
“What many people immediately think about is how AI can make their day-to-day working lives easier. But, for those looking to work their way up the job ladder and become a more competent professional, AI has huge applications to help you learn and develop, acquiring new skills that are applicable to your current or future roles to advance your career.”
In line with this, Virtual College by Netex spoke to Candela Garcia, the founder of ‘The Cost of Travel’ blog, who states that “AI has truly been a game-changer” for her role.
Garcia is also the Head of Marketing for Latam Markets alongside maintaining her blog, which is now her side hustle thanks to AI. She mentions that the technology has helped her improve in her technical skills, assisting her in learning how to “code her own scripts and plugins and delve deeper into data science and the technical aspects of ads.”
She adds when talking about her blogging journey that “AI has helped me to understand the fundamentals and has made the road simpler for me”, without which Garcia wouldn’t have had the time nor have acquired the knowledge simply to build her blogger skillset.
In a similar respect, AI consultant Richard Batt shares that AI hugely helped him to grow in his previous role as a customer services manager, and supported him to develop skills that he now utilises daily in his current position.
From learning about PHP to understanding how best to automate spreadsheets, Batt states AI helped him to learn and develop his current skills in a more personalised way, which was hugely beneficial.
“The skills I learned in both my previous role and current role were skills I could have learned by picking up a load of books or by watching YouTube videos, but the personalised aspects of learning with AI were incredibly useful for me.
“For example, being able to ask a question when I was stuck or getting feedback on the code I had written in real time – this isn’t possible with a YouTube channel or book, it’s like having a personal tutor 24/7.”
So, without AI, Batt’s learning and development journey would have been a different one – likely longer and with road bumps – illustrating just how useful AI can be for professionals to learn and develop in their roles and expand their skill sets for future positions.
However, whilst in conversation with Virtual College by Netex, Batt advised that there are a number of important aspects to consider if you want to learn to use AI in your role, particularly if you’re looking to grow and develop as a professional to advance in the working world:
Learn about the subject itself, don’t leave it all to AI
According to Batt, building an understanding of a subject that you’re learning about and gaining information from AI is important. Take the time to learn about this outside of AI software, as this will help you to “pick up on things that don’t sound quite right”, he states.
After all, AI isn’t 100% perfect and its generated results can include errors. But, if you’re able to identify when something might not be correct with a basic understanding of a topic, you’ll know how and where to verify this with an alternative source so that you can develop your learnings and avoid errors in the workplace.
Use ChatGPT plugins for specialised learning
If you’re looking to learn about something a little more specific to advance in your role and to expand your skillset, Batt advises that ChatGPT plug-ins can be a useful resource to do this.
“For example, using ‘Speak’ for language learning or ‘Codecademy’ to learn code means that you’re getting a specialised learning experience whilst verifying that the information is correct. It’s using quality external tools to provide the information whilst making use of the personalised aspect of an AI platform.”
There are a range of different ChatGPT plug-ins that are applicable to learning new skills. So, whether for your current role or to develop your abilities for future positions, these can be a useful tool.
Don’t become over-reliant on AI
Whilst AI may have many applications in your role and in helping you to learn and grow, it’s important to not become overreliant on it as a resource, according to Batt.
“Make sure you learn as you use it. The last thing you want to happen is ChatGPT to go down right when you need it and you end up unable to do it by hand. Think of it like a calculator – make use of it whilst it’s there but you still need to be able to do maths by hand when it isn’t!”
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