It is difficult to deny that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most sought-after innovations in the corporate world. A quick search online will demonstrate how AI is transforming entire industries, through automating processes, augmenting human skills and deriving actionable insights from large volumes of data.
It is understandable that businesses are embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to modernise their operations in light of the current climate and the challenges it has brought. The impacts of the pandemic are likely to be felt for some time to come, so it is not surprising that businesses are turning to AI to help them remain competitive.
Integrating AI into a company’s existing infrastructure is not a straightforward process. It requires specialist knowledge in the relevant technical areas, a carefully planned strategy for implementation, a wide range of resources and the involvement of all personnel within the organisation. In this post, we will focus on the third point, as obtaining buy-in from employees is often easier said than done.
Many employees are apprehensive about the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace. There are some who feel threatened by the implications of AI, believing it may eventually replace human roles, whilst others are simply confused by its complexity. Before successfully implementing AI into your organisation, it is important to consider and address any reservations and concerns that may be present.
Can’t figure out the process? I have included a few pointers to help you get going.
Involve Your Staff in Understanding AI.
The breadth of available resources on Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be daunting to the most inquisitive reader. Stories often portray AI as if it is ready to take over the world and liberate us from our daily tasks. However, we are still far from achieving its full potential, as AI-enabled solutions are not yet advanced enough to complete most of our everyday duties.
It is important to consider the potential impact of information overload on your workforce, as some may be concerned that the introduction of AI into the workplace could lead to a reduction in job opportunities. To provide reassurance, you should explain the role of AI before investing in it. This will allow your staff to fully understand the implications of AI and ensure they have no cause for concern.
When considering the use of AI, it is vital to reflect upon all of its components. Demonstrating the features of a modern AI solution, such as a chatbot or automated marketing platform, is a great starting point. It is also essential to discuss the potential and constraints of AI to ensure that everyone is aware of the possibilities. Additionally, it is important to explain your company’s reasons for using AI in order to illustrate the advantages it can bring to individual departments. During this session, you will be able to explain how AI can help to improve efficiency and productivity.
Engage Your Company’s Artificial Intelligence Fans
It is clear that a few sessions to demonstrate the benefits of AI for the company will not be sufficient to overcome resistance from staff. To ensure that employees understand the advantages of artificial intelligence, there must be a sustained effort to educate them. As it is unlikely that you have the capacity to personally manage this endeavor, it would be beneficial to assemble a small team of AI enthusiasts to help you.
Assembling a team for AI initiatives can seem like a daunting task initially, but it is actually quite straightforward. It is essential to assess the level of enthusiasm among employees when initiating AI conversations in the workplace. Individuals who are passionate about AI, curious to learn more, keen to share their ideas and show enthusiasm are ideal candidates to join the AI team. This could be anyone from the HR Director to the Chief Executive Officer.
Having an AI-savvy group of professionals is essential to facilitate the successful implementation of artificial intelligence in the workplace. They can provide timely updates on the latest AI developments, identify areas where AI could be used to optimise operations, and even organise seminars and workshops to raise awareness of the technology. This team of AI experts will help to normalise AI in the workplace, changing the way people think about it.
Create Credibility by Being Open
It is possible that your staff may be apprehensive towards AI-based findings, even though they do not contradict their values or “gut instincts”, due to the resistance to the technology. It is essential that you break down this obstacle to adoption by creating trust in AI-driven solutions. How can this be done? You can use AI technologies to show the advantages to your staff, not only related to their individual roles but to the organization as a whole.
AI has the potential to be a powerful tool for breaking down organisational barriers and connecting people to their work, so that they are aware of the full impact of their decisions and contributions. This can be used to promote transparency and help employees gain a greater understanding of their roles within the business.
Even though it may not appear to be substantial, it is likely that AI will validate some of the assumptions your team already have about their role. Share the results that concur with your personnel to establish trustworthiness, even if it is simply that the technology can predict the outcome of specific decisions in the same way as your staff.
Make the Rollout of AI as Personable as You Can.
It is essential to ensure that employees understand their role in the overall process and the implications of their decisions. However, it is also important to demonstrate to each worker how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can improve their daily work. By providing more personalised examples of the benefits of AI, it is anticipated that enthusiasm towards the technology will be significantly increased.
Depending on the audience, it may be beneficial to demonstrate how an AI solution could assist the HR department in quickly going through numerous resumes. Additionally, AI could be used to train accounting staff to effectively file, retrieve and organise documents.
Our bite-sized presentations will help to address any worries your team may have about artificial intelligence. This is one of the best aspects of the process; by having a demonstration of an AI in action, your staff will understand that AI is not intended to replace people, but rather to help us to free up time for activities that require more thought.
Laying the Groundwork for the Widespread Use of Artificial Intelligence
It is possible to implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) without taking the above steps, however, the expected benefits may not be fully realised. This is due to the fact that human input is required to incorporate AI into existing processes. Therefore, failing to consider the potential opposition of human workers could be counterproductive, since they are likely to be the ones interacting most with the AI-powered solutions.
Before beginning the implementation of AI, it is important to ensure that the groundwork is laid for successful adoption. Providing as many examples as possible, responding to any queries and seeking feedback from stakeholders are all key to creating a successful implementation. Although the results may not be as dramatic as some reports suggest, with the correct preparation the benefits of AI can be realised in a timely manner.
