What are the Benefits & Impacts of AI in the Workplace?

AI is transforming the world of work. From boosting productivity to reshaping day-to-day operations, it’s important that businesses and their employees fully understand the effects the technology is having now and will have later.

It’s time for businesses to lean into the benefits AI can bring to their workplaces, ensuring that leaders understand these benefits and successfully incorporate them into their teams' day-to-day operations where appropriate.

In this blog, we’ll explore some of the positive impacts that AI has had on businesses so far. We’re confident that as the technology continues to grow and develop, we’ll be able to add more to this list later.

What actually is AI in the Workplace?

There’s lots of jargon and subgenres that go within artificial intelligence, so let’s break it down a bit...

AI in the workplace refers to artificial intelligence that’s changing how workforces are completing their tasks. From solving complex maths problems to filling in admin documents, AI is quickly becoming the go-to tool for employees to speed up their daily tasks. Although it is important to note that AI isn’t always right: the software even flags this itself!

Key Benefits of AI for Businesses

Everyday work has changed massively due to the adoption of AI, with reports of improved efficiency and productivity, enhanced decision-making and higher levels of innovation happening throughout all levels of organisations.

Let’s now dive into some of the more specific positives that AI in the workplace brings to the table...

Automation and Productivity Gains

AI is great at handling repetitive tasks. Some software can save multiple chats at once, allowing you to have separate chats for different projects. This makes it incredibly easy to pick things back up at a later date, saving you the time and annoyance of having to re-enter the same information.

As well as saving you time, it also spares you the mental frustration of doing something so repetitive, meaning that you can redirect this energy into higher-value tasks.

For event organisers specifically, automation can help with creating event schedules and plans, supporting attendee registrations and check-ins, and creating content such as transcripts to be used by hosts, post-event summaries and social media highlights!

Smarter Decision-Making with AI Analytics

Not only does AI save you time, but it also enables you to make smarter decisions through analytics.

AI is great at large data processing and can easily cut through the noise to provide valuable insights that inform strategy and business operations.

From identifying patterns and trends to forecasting future outcomes based on past data, AI provides some unique insights that employees can adopt to increase business performance.

It’s best to be specific about the information you’re hoping to find from the data, so ensure that you’re wording your commands well, along with specifying how you’d like the data to be presented.

You could try commands such as:

1. ‘From the data provided, give me the 3 key takeaways and a top line about each finding, that I can share with the client.’
2. ‘Analyse the data provided and find me 2 short-term and long-term targets that we’re in-line with achieving’
3. ‘With the data provided, can you suggest new targeting methods for this audience, to help us increase revenue?’

Impact of AI on Employees and Work Culture

AI is reshaping job roles across a whole load of industries, creating both challenges and opportunities. As these technologies become more embedded in daily tasks, job roles have changed, alongside smaller team dynamics and the wider culture of businesses.

The need for upskilling is also increasing as we continue to integrate AI into our daily lives, and the ethics of collaboration between humans and AI must be considered.

Job Transformation and New Skillsets

As AI continues to become more integrated into daily tasks, there has been a shift in the required skills needed, which also impacts the training that companies should provide to both new hires and longer-standing employees.

Some of these new skills that should be taught include:

1. Technical skills - data literacy and understanding how AI tools actually work.
2. Soft skills where humans still excel over machines – critical thinking, emotional intelligence and adaptability.
3. AI collaboration skills – utilising correct prompts, verifying AI-generated answers, etc.

Upskilling is now essential for employees to remain relevant and confident in a technologically shifting environment!

Employee Concerns and Ethical Considerations

There are, of course, a few worries about the adoption of AI in the workplace.

More than a quarter of workers are worried that AI will lead to job losses, 57% of global consumers are concerned about AI posing a threat to their privacy and 39% of employees are reluctant to fully adopt AI into their workflow.

These statistics show clear hesitation and concern with the adoption of AI, so it’s important that employers introduce the technology in a considerate and effective way, to emphasise that it’s here to aid teams, rather than be something to fear.

Introducing clear policies of the use of AI at work, reminding employees that it’s not a perfect technology and having open discussions about its use are all ways in which businesses can ease tensions and reluctance.

Success Stories of AI in Action

There are a few industries and even specific companies that are already successfully using AI to improve work processes and outcomes.

One example is Monzo and HSBC using AI to help detect fraud, automate routine transactions and provide personalised financial advice. Monzo specifically uses AI to spot unusual spending patterns, whilst HSBC uses it for risk assessment and compliance.

BT has implemented AI chatbots and virtual assistants to help handle customer queries, allowing human customer service agents to focus on more complex or sensitive issues.

The BBC uses AI to tag and organise content, personalise recommendations for viewers and even generate subtitles more efficiently.

As you can see, the integration of AI in the workplace has already begun, and it’s only going to increase as the technology evolves!

The Future of AI in Workplaces

Whilst there’s no official announcements for what’s up and coming from AI, we can make some educated guesses...

AI tools are already being used to create content, summarise reports, write code and assist with customer service, so it would be safe to assume that this will be pushed one step further in the future to possibly take over an entire project.

We’ve also seen that AI images and videos are rapidly improving, so as the technology develops further, so will this content. Videos and images may become more lifelike and harder to tell what’s real and AI, so this may be an area where ethics needs to be heavily introduced.

Brands are already using AI to make more personalised customer experiences, and as the technology learns from the customer, the suggestions only grow smarter. Learning how the customer shops and engages with the brand gives AI the knowledge on how to target them, meaning sales tactics will be more tailored to each individual.

But how can businesses prepare for these ongoing changes?

1. Invest in upskilling and AI literacy

One of the most powerful things a business can do is invest in their people. As AI becomes more embedded in everyday tasks at work, make sure that your teams feel confident and comfortable with using the software by giving them opportunities to learn and develop their skills.

2. Build a responsible AI strategy

Everyone needs to consider how the AI will genuinely help them in their jobs, and ask the right questions surrounding privacy, transparency and fairness. A responsible AI strategy can be as simple as formulating clear guidelines on where and how AI is used, how data is handled and if certain checks need to be done against facts and figures provided.

3. Stay informed and curious

Because the software is constantly evolving, it can be easy to get caught up in the hype of it all, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest information. Try signing up for some trustworthy newsletters, attending webinars or events on AI, or even saving time in the calendar to discuss findings with team members.

4. Focus on the human advantage

Whilst AI is brilliant in many ways, it will never replicate the power of human connection and emotional intelligence. As we adopt automated software more into our workloads, human touch becomes even more valuable, so encourage your teams to continue building relationships, telling stories and solving complex problems – ensure human critical thinking is still implemented!

Inspired by what you’ve read?

We work with brilliant speakers who are passionate about educating decision makers on how to successfully adopt AI at work. If you’re planning an event and want to explore how the right voice can bring this conversation to life, we’d love to help. Just drop us a line and we’ll help you find the perfect match.