The Future of Work and Artificial Intelligence

Technological innovation, such as artificial intelligence, requires that companies and individuals take ownership of education to keep up with the future of work.

By Lauren Dixon

In 2012, Dennis Mortensen had 1,019 meetings, each of which required an average of roughly eight back-and-forth emails to schedule. Now his personal assistant, Amy Ingram, schedules his meetings for him.

There’s just one thing: Amy isn’t a human being — she’s a virtual assistant (notice her initials, AI). Every time Mortensen comes across a contact interested in meeting with him, the CEO and founder of New York City-based artificial intelligence firm x.ai simply sends them a return email copying Amy, who takes care of the rest.

“In raw numbers, I’ve saved about an hour every day — an hour which I would otherwise have to use in really rudimentary work where I add not much value,” Mortensen said of Amy’s help scheduling meetings.

Virtual assistants like Amy are becoming more common. Just as household technology platforms like Apple’s “Siri” and Microsoft’s “Cortana” has helped consumers navigate their lives more easily, other forms of rudimentary artificial intelligence platforms are starting to proliferate the market, many of them upending traditional business roles.

To this point, such technological innovation has brought nothing but excitement to those who have found its benefits. Still, as AI and automation technology advances, some are fearful of the wide-scale human job loss it might bring.

In some instances, this is already happening. Automation in sectors like manufacturing has taken over jobs long held by humans. Experts predict jobs rooted in repetitive, computational tasks are likely to succumb to technology in the not-too-distant future.

Moshe Vardi, an esteemed computer science professor from Rice University in Houston, grabbed media attention in February when he boldly predicted to attendees at the annual meeting of the American Association for Advancement of Science that artificial intelligence could displace almost half of the world’s population out of their jobs in the next 30 years.

Others who fear a robotic takeover are Tesla and SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk and physicist Stephen Hawking. Both are not just fearful of AI’s ability to displace human jobs in the economy; they think robots could potentially end mankind altogether.

Not everyone is as bearish on the future of jobs and technology — or humanity. Dermot O’Brien, chief human resources officer at payroll provider and consulting firm Automatic Data Processing Inc., or ADP, said technological advances are more likely to further enable human productivity, not replace it entirely. People will “be able to focus on more the interesting, higher-impact side of their roles,” he said.

Talent managers play an important role in technology’s integration in the economy, experts say, particularly as it pertains to employee development. With more employees expected to integrate technology in their work, a greater emphasis on learning and development will be needed to keep pace.

The Sixth Wave

In 1942, economist and sociologist Joseph Schumpeter published “Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy,” in which he theorized about how technology will disrupt creativity over time.

“His hypothesis when he first wrote the idea was that because mankind is the type of individual that’s constantly seeking to create new things and bring a better way of life into our world, we will constantly be thinking about how we can improve ourselves, our society, the world,” said Rick Von Feldt, a workplace futurist and senior partner at Kolaborative, a San Francisco consulting firm focused on the future of the workplace.

These improvements, based on Schumpeter’s theories, come in the form of six waves of disruption, Von Feldt said. In 1785, the first wave came through the development of waterpower, textiles and iron. This lasted until 1845, when the second wave used steam, rail and steel.

Following was the third wave in 1900 with electricity and chemicals; the fourth in 1950 with electronics and aviation; and the fifth in 1990 with software and digital products.

The economy is now nearing the sixth wave, Von Feldt said, which will hit in 2020 in the form of nanotechnology, renewable energy, robotics, AI and other innovations.

Research by management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. in 2015 predicted that 45 percent of activities currently done by workers can be automated, and in 2013 research firm Gartner Inc. found that by 2030 smart machines will replace 90 percent of all jobs.

Among those who aren’t scared is AJ Jaghori, founder of multiple startups and an advisor and chairman at YoloData, an Ashburn, Virginia-based business analytics firm. He said that people whose jobs foster deep human connection will likely be safe from the threats posed by automation and AI. In fact, increases in these types of technology could even potentially create new jobs, he said.

‘With any new type of automation, there’s a whole new host of jobs that comes along with it.’ — Dennis Mortensen, CEO and founder, x.ai

Mortensen of x.ai has a similar view. Although his firm’s software schedules meetings like a personal assistant would do, it won’t take over the many other important aspects of a personal assistant’s job. Mortensen predicts that some jobs will go away, but “with any new type of automation, there’s a whole new host of jobs that comes along with it.”

Talent Changes

Nevertheless, the evolution of this technology will inevitably force companies to change how they assess and manage human talent.

For starters, companies should hire people who are quick learners able to evolve with the skill needs of the business, said Paul Daugherty, chief technology officer at management consulting firm Accenture. In the firm’s 2016 “Accenture Technology Vision” report, IT and business executives said they now look for candidates who can multitask and embrace change as among the most-important skills. “Deep expertise for the specialized task at hand” ranked fifth on the list.

Additionally, companies will have to hire people based on their ability to interact and use new technology, including automation and AI.

“Essentially, when determining if AI should be utilized within an organization, the responsibility lies on the company to not only invest in the right technology, but to invest in the people to train them, define their new roles and create ways for them to be successful alongside the technology,” Daugherty said.

For some companies, this means embracing AI and reducing the number of human jobs. Before AI can enter the workplace, talent managers have to assess if the company’s culture is ready to reduce people and accept AI, said ADP’s O’Brien.

“If your culture is based on relationships and interactions, I could see that potentially — at least early on — rubbing people the wrong way,” O’Brien said. Employees may feel expendable and as a result not want work for the organization, which could ultimately take a toll on morale and productivity.

Training is also an important early component toward driving adoption of technology into the workplace, and talent managers can play a leading role in making sure employees are prepared to deal with the change. Employees will naturally feel that technology is either an enabler or a threat, so it’s important to be clear about what its advantages and limitations are, O’Brien said.

Employees also can educate each other. YoloData’s Jaghori said this unconventional sharing of knowledge often occurs at startups and is a cost-effective method that larger corporations can adopt.

Self-education is also important. To keep himself abreast on new technologies, Jaghori practices software development and keeps in touch with researchers and other technology experts. Bryan Short, the CEO and co-founder of YoloData, practices similar methods of self-education, using mentors and peers in the industry to further his learning and understanding of future technology.

Additionally, social media is a valuable learning tool, said Karie Willyerd, author and workplace futurist at software firm SAP SuccessFactors. Willyerd said she set up a Twitter account to follow people and organizations related to technological innovation to stay informed on how it’s being used in the workplace.

Her book, “Stretch: How to Future-Proof Yourself for Tomorrow’s Workplace,” written with co-author Barbara Mistick, emphasizes the importance professional development plays in keeping up with AI’s integration at work.

‘That’s the telling factor of whether you’re growing or not — if you’re just a little bit scared and in over your head almost all the time.’ — Karie Willyerd, author and workplace futurist, SAP SuccessFactors

Because AI is advancing at a rapid pace, “you have to learn a bit little every day, just like robots do,” Willyerd said.

Willyerd listed five best development practices:

1. Learn on the fly. Aim to become a better informal learner.
2. Be open. Recognize opportunities and be open to change.
3. Build a diverse network. Hang around smart people and read a lot.
4. Be greedy about experiences. We have to be the people striving to get new experiences. “That’s the telling factor of whether you’re growing or not — if you’re just a little bit scared and in over your head almost all the time,” Willyerd said.
5. Bounce forward: Everyone has disappointment, so use it as a learning launch point not just to bounce back to where you should be, but bounce beyond that.

A Complementary Future?

While no one has a crystal ball, some say the likeliest future is one where technology and humans complement each other. What level of harmony, however, will depend on a number of factors, including industry, geography and company culture.

ADP’s O’Brien said the future of work is likely to be more human-oriented than people think. In most instances, technology will help deepen human connections. According to ADP’s 2016 “Evolution of Work” report, nearly 90 percent of respondents said they felt positive about technology allowing “for deeper connections across distance and time.”

Companies should take advantage of the connectivity technology will provide, O’Brien said. To maintain a personal connection as the organization grows, “they will need to actually have more of a personal connection to people and a personalized experience for employees.”