AI has entered the chat: Wider implications businesses should consider

AI now is like a new hire at work. Everyone is aware of their presence and knows they have started. Some invite them to everything. Others feel threatened about their jobs.

With the promise of the business being completely shaken up by the introduction of AI, it’s no wonder things feel uncertain. Articles from the Harvard Business Review and Forbes over the years have promised “augmented human creativity, democratised innovation and divergent thinking”, but what does that mean when it comes to putting AI to work?

Here are three key factors to consider when working with AI:

1. Not all functions are able to adopt at the same pace. Play.

2. Be realistic about what good use looks like. Manage expectations.

3. Consider the wider implications of learning and development. Support growth.

Not all functions are able to adopt at the same pace

Learning how to use generative AI requires a playful skillset. In more creative roles, experimenting and exploring new tools may feel like a familiar way of working. However, this could be unchartered territory for others working in strategy or finance, for example. It’s important to remember that like with the introduction of any new technologies, people will learn and adopt at different paces.

Wider implications: As Forbes has rightly stated, business-wide adoption of AI will require re-skilling. With mass re-skilling on the horizon, it may no longer be feasible to hire talent based on experience. People may begin to prioritise skills-based CVs that showcase their ability to learn. The ability to embrace being a novice at something could become the most desirable trait.

What organizations can do: Be aware that the road to being an AI-enabled organization may have different speeds between functions. Regulation and privacy are also factors that determine the overall speed of adoption. From a behavioural point of view, nurture an environment where it is safe to try and ok to fail when learning. This can alleviate pressures that discourage learning through play.

Be realistic about what good looks like

ChatGPT4o has launched this month, furthering the use of natural language models. This updated version of the AI platform allows humans to input text, image, and audio to generate outputs – and with its average response time of 320 milliseconds, it mimics human conversation speeds.

Why is this significant? This way of generating AI-powered creative assets and insights becomes more of a conversation as well as an exchange. Of course, AI generation is only going to be as good as your input. But in generative AI, the gold standard does not mean one master question leads to the desired outcome. Treating the process as a conversation or a negotiation is what will allow you to reach your vision. Just as when working with people in the office, sometimes there need to be several iterations before the goal is reached.

But in generative AI, the gold standard does not mean one master question leads to the desired outcome. Treating the process as a conversation or a negotiation is what will allow you to reach your vision.

Wider implications: ChatGPT has already changed the way we search for information. The last great shift of this magnitude was probably the advent of Google itself! The launch of Google helped to shape the expectation that information could be instant. It also arguably led to shaping a culture of instant gratification – that everything could be at our fingertips. The conversational nature of ChatGPT4o, Midjourney and alike could see a wider shift from receiving something instantly, to a negotiated, curated way of receiving something of value.

What organizations can do: Establish an AI working group or AI champions by rallying the most passionate and curious people from each team. Learning from others will help to bring the wider teams on the journey and understand what the tangible applications are for them. This will also help others to understand the process and the time it takes. Introduce this iteratively throughout the business to ensure that a two-tier organization does not occur – where the technically capable gatekeep their knowledge from the rest of their teams.

Generative AI gives everyone the opportunity to explore through the lens that suits them best

A phrase that has been circulating in the wider AI conversation has been “AI won’t take your job, but someone using AI will”. As generative AI becomes commonplace at work, “someone using AI” will not be an omniscient tech figure. They will be someone just like you, who understands the AI applications specific to the job role. These applications can be tangential too. A copywriter might use generative AI for text but could also explore Midjourney to mock up supporting images. It is not just enhancing the skills you have, it is the opportunity to learn a new skillset all together.

The conversational nature of ChatGPT4o, Midjourney and alike could see a wider shift from receiving something instantly, to a negotiated, curated way of receiving something of value.

Wider implications: This accessibility to new technologies could drive a shift towards career portfolios. With the ability to learn new skills as well as related skills, people might uncover new passions. For example, generating images in Midjourney requires an in-depth knowledge of cameras, lenses, film, angles, and more. This kind of exposure could unlock new career paths for people. Time saved from menial tasks might also free up time to work multiple jobs in different areas.

What organizations can do

Ask yourself, if an AI enhanced competitor put you out of business today, what would they be doing that you are not? Digital transformation is a vast spectrum and there might be small wins you could make today. Second is to consider if your career progression is fit for the future. Are you equipped to support and nurture diverse skill sets?

The difficulty is that “AI” is an ambivalent and ubiquitous term. This makes AI as your new hire illusive and enigmatic. But it can never fully replace creativity in business. It will require everyone across your organization to explore and experiment with prompts and new ways to use those platforms. It will give you the opportunity to level set. And it will expose your people to new passions they didn’t know they had. So, strike up that conversation with a healthy level of curiosity!

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