‘AI will be intrinsic to the future of work,’ says Unisys’ Principal Architect for Data, AI & Automation, Markus Bertl, looking at both business and employee attitudes to the technology and what needs to be done to break the barriers holding adoption back.
From voice assistants to ChatGPT to robotic factory workers, artificial intelligence (AI) has dominated conversations in and out of boardrooms, and across industry for the past few years. With new business cases arising constantly, we’re hitting a crunch point with AI. The C-Suite is becoming increasingly aware of its benefits, yet barriers to adoption include a resounding wariness from employees, who are worried that the technology is coming for their jobs.
The fact is that AI isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Research has shown that the worldwide AI software market will grow to nearly $251 billion in 2027. That makes now the perfect time for business leaders to get on the front foot with AI technology and embrace it in earnest if they want to get ahead of the curve with so many opportunities imminent. So, how can they overcome the last remaining barriers currently in their way? How can they guarantee deployments are successful when they make the leap?
An AI-led future
One of the most significant barriers to AI adoption has been employee wariness that the technology could leave them redundant, though that sentiment is changing. In our industry, employees and employers are learning more about the capabilities of AI and Gen AI technologies, particularly how they can use the tech to enhance roles rather than replace them.
European employees are now cautiously optimistic about AI, with automation technologies now understood to be a positive change rather than a threat to jobs. Employers increasingly agree, with the vast majority now understanding the different ways that automation will free up employees to focus on higher-value tasks – in other words, using the tech instead of tech replacing the workforce.
However, with this attitude shift and growing acceptance of AI as a business tool, its effective adoption will require further upskilling for employees if companies and their workforces can truly use the technology to drive maximum efficiency. The good news is that employers are also starting to identify the important benefits of this training.
Once they can overcome their barriers, business leaders are well positioned to reap the many benefits from AI deployments, using Gen AI to augment process automation, thereby doubling desk worker productivity and freeing time to focus on higher-value activities.
So how do we get there?
Gen AI looks set to support most work structures across the organization, making it a strategic business imperative. So how can leaders keep increasing staff optimism towards the technology, and how can they make sure they are getting the training and upskilling they need to accelerate the deployment of the technology?
It’s crucial business leaders’ partner with experts who have experience supporting other organizations through their AI deployments. Experts will be able to communicate the opportunities and risks of each Gen AI technology and will be able to work with you to pick the most relevant technologies for your business. They can also help you identify the best levels of data to make your AI run as effectively as possible or get your data ready if it is not already.
From there, they’ll be able to put together training programs for employees, which will show them how to make the most of AI – both for their level and based on specialized industry knowledge of what works well.
Bringing everyone on the journey
It’s clear that as we aim towards the workplace of the future, AI will play a significant role. It’s time for business leaders not just to make the move to deploy the technology but to remove the final barriers to adoption and ensure all employees are on board with them.
Employee optimism is rising rapidly, but true AI success will come when business leaders ensure the entirety of their workforce embraces the technology, cross-level and cross-division, to make the deployment as successful as possible. Working with the right partner to upskill will be imperative – and will further turn AI from something employees fear to something they embrace and value.
About the Author
Markus Bertl is Unisys’ Principal Architect for Data, AI & Automation. We are a global technology solutions company that powers breakthroughs for the world’s leading organizations. These solutions — digital workplace, cloud, applications & infrastructure, enterprise computing and business process solutions — help people overcome obstacles and not only reach their greatest potential but go beyond it.
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