How to get your team to use AI
On November 22, 2022, OpenAI released a somewhat polished version of an AI-supported generated predictive text software program commonly known as chatGPT 3.5. Tech experts at OpenAI started developing the software in 2015, which might surprise some, given the recent publicity. Brush away the hype and talk about the Terminator, and we’re left wondering why it took so long.
Nonetheless, the hype surrounding the release of chatGPT 4 (a standard software update from version 3.5) caused a tidal shift in how everyone thinks about and uses AI-supported software. Although entire sectors of the economy will never see the gradual adoption of advanced computer tech, AI-supported generative predictive text feeds into a fear of the unknown. Many white-collar workers see AI as endangering their jobs.
Don’t Be a Late Adopter Struggling To Catch Up
The better way of looking at AI is how the technology will automate specific tasks that white-collar workers do regularly–type text into a keyboard, tablet, or smartphone. We should get to know AI as a helpful friend and gradually understand how to use it constructively. ChatGPT won’t control us now or ever because we use it daily. Google uses a version of GPT to help you understand what you want to search for online. If enough searchers look for the same thing, Google can give you a fundamental question you should ask to get the same answers as everyone else.
Step One: Take a step back and learn about the real AI, not the science fiction version we are scared about. Try identifying areas in your workflows that might benefit from GPT; yes, “auto-fill” is the automated part of GPT — still scared?
Will AI Replace My High-Paying Desk Job?
In the short term, the answer is a resounding no! In the long term, you may fear robots taking your desk job. Isn’t that the underlying concern? Don’t we all fear a takeover by Skynet or something like it? The fear is unwarranted because AI has been assisting tech companies for several years without anyone knowing. OpenAI started in 2015, almost a decade ago.
What we all should be really excited about is how AI will make our lives better. We should all learn about AI and how we can use the technology in our daily lives. AI is not a robot; it’s a tool. Just like the typewriter replaced handwriting on a commercial scale, AI will also help us work efficiently. ChatGPT is nothing more than an intelligent word processor, the old-school replacement for the typewriter.
Step Two: learn all you can about how your job relates to AI, not chat GPT. For instance, AI enables smart touch-ups for photos. The Pixel feature that takes background items out of that picture you took at the beach uses a form of AI called machine learning. The same logic applies to workforce AI adoption. Data management is still challenging for those skeptical about AI-supported business intelligence in the office.
ChatGPT Isn’t Artificial Intelligence
ChatGPT uses machine learning to predict what you might type next. Machine learning comes from developers knowing how to communicate with the machine. OpenAI trained ChatGPT for years before they released a stable version. Developers eventually input enough information to predict what comes next based on language. For instance, Grammarly uses almost infinite data points. It’s not really endless. But it’s a number so significant that humans can’t work with the data.
Remember, “big data” refers to massive amounts of data incomprehensible to humans but usable by computers through machine learning. Tech companies like Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft have computer systems that can manage and learn from big data in what they call “cloud computing infrastructure.” If you recall, big data and cloud computing were foreign to many until it wasn’t. Today, cloud computing is well-known. Go back twenty years, and you’ll find similar concerns about replacing white-collar jobs with robots.
Step Three: don’t resist workplace AI. Everyone is in the same situation, so be an early adopter. One of the worst things for any business is competing organizational cultures. One culture wants to adopt AI, and one pushes back against it. If you are in a competing corporate culture, you don’t agree with it. It would be best if you considered leaving. A culture that adapts to workplace changes will never lose.
Final Thoughts
AI is only a menace if you end up in an organizational culture fighting against workplace change. If you’re on the winning side, embrace it because technology advances no matter what anyone does. The number of companies and industries keeps growing. Gartner recently reported that thirty-five percent of companies use AI in some capacity. The report also noted a substantial increase to a global market worth $266.92 billion in four years. The key takeaway being you’ll need to live off the grid, far away from people, to avoid anything related to AI.
Research is ongoing into how much AI will automate tedious tasks people don’t want to do. Remember, today’s AI isn’t about robots. It is about finding ways to manage the data streams that humans can’t. The technology behind AI will continue to improve. One day AI supported tasks completed by humans will take over all business culture. Like the smartphone, you’ll wonder what you would have done without it.
