Whilst AI has been around for a while, growing steadily in its uses and reliability it seems that 2023 has suddenly launched it into the mainstream. I don’t think anyone can have looked through their LinkedIn feed in January without seeing countless posts mentioning Chat GPT or AI and more interestingly, suddenly referencing the use of these tools to create actual documents and processes.
"ChatGPT - Trending in the entire IT Industry”
SO much time and is exceptional at understanding the context needed.”
“ChatGPT beats Google searches for complex YES/NO answers hands down.”
“Every day there seem to be several new Generative AI applications, I think most agree this
space is going to explode.”
"There’s now an AI tool for almost every step of marketing.
"Some basic, some mind-blowing.”
These first 5 posts in my feed this morning highlight the extent to which ChatGPT/AI excitement seems to have taken over. In fact, it has recently been reported that last month ChatGPT reached 100m active monthly users, just 2 months after launch, making it the “fastest growing consumer application in history” (in contrast Tik Tok took 9 months to reach this milestone and Instagram 2.5 yrs).
So, with the adoption of AI now being embraced on a wider scale and its use moving on swiftly from enhanced google searches, what does this spell for the future of workers and the roles available?
As highlighted in the White House report into the impact of AI on the future of workforces in Europe and US, AI has great potential to make workers more productive, firms more efficient and to spur innovations in new products and services.
Where AI is already having an impact in the office is mostly around basic data entry tasks especially within the medical and financial fields and call centres where legacy processes and systems require updating in multiple areas. However, these have proven to be limited
ChatGPT - Trending in the entire IT Industry”
To basic tasks and slow to automate. Advances in this technology are likely to streamline and improve the processes but these are some way off currently.An area which has hugely embraced AI is in the automation of recruitment processes. Many companies now utilise tools and systems to scan CVs and applications looking for key words, skills or subject sets. These can save hours of CV review time for hiring managers scanning CV’s and automatically declining those not containing the relevant key words or experience.
The use of ChatGPT and similar programmes to create content seems to be the most exciting area currently being tested on a wider scale. Some companies are using it to generate copy for websites or internal and external communications, generate email responses, identify keywords for SEO and script writing. Documentation such as reviews, job descriptions and process documentation are also proving popular as are utilising ChatGPT to help with boosting open rates by creating high performing headlines or writing meta descriptions for blog posts that will increase listings. But, how good are these and how well do they stand up against human alternatives.
Without fail, every article that I have read during my research has found multiple limitations and inconsistencies in the output produced. Whilst a key part of AI is obviously in its continual improvement, as it stands currently the finding seems to be use this at your peril especially if your brand and messaging are of importance to your business.
Whilst text tends to be grammatically correct the tone and accuracy of information is sometimes questionable. Without a clear idea of where the content originated from and therefore copyright allowances there are also concerns around plagiarism and validity of sources.
In simple data entry tasks AI is clearly reducing multiplication of entry saving time and refining the processes for the human workers. However, the applications don’t always result in a directly comparable outcome. Where AI is used to scan CV’s for example, robots can only look for what they are programmed to review, which exacerbates data bias from the data sets that they are trained on through the programmed searches. Candidates may have phrased experience without using a particular key words, have transferable skills which will be missed or just have used a different format on a CV than is the optimal for the scanning tool. Clearly this form of review will only create an automated output supporting companies looking for any candidates who fit a certain criteria but not identifying the best candidates, the most strongly aligned with company values or those with skill sets outside of the formulated brief.
AI seems to be finding itself a very useful place in the initial phase of creation and idea generation, however this is where it appears to work best in conjunction with human interaction. Utilising this starting point humans can then apply the sense checking, knowledge and intrinsic value that they bring to the automated content turning it into something not only more understandable and consistent but also more acceptable as a human product.
But what does ChatGPT think about the future of human workers and the roles available in a world filled by AI?“
As AI continues to advance, it's likely that many tasks previously performed by humans will
become automated. However, it's important to note that AI is expected to augment and
assist human workers, rather than replace them entirely. The future of work will likely
involve a combination of human and AI skills, with a focus on jobs that require creativity,
empathy, and critical thinking. Roles such as healthcare, education, and service industries
are expected to see a higher demand for human workers. Additionally, new roles and
industries may emerge, such as those focused on designing, building, and managing AI
systems. It's important for workers to continuously reskill and adapt to the changing job
market to stay relevant in a world filled with AI.”
So, it seems as though we agree! What is clear is that, for now and likely for many years to come, computers are just not capable of providing the intangible human element. Whether that be the social or soft skills required to soften a message appropriately, the ability to add the intrinsic layer of understanding and learnt knowledge to a situation specific to each individual business or group of people, the ability to look beyond key words to find the right candidates or just the ability to sense and fact check before publishing to the wider world. The development of these tools only serves to further strengthen the importance of these skills and human abilities. This is what we spend our lives learning and refining. The depth of knowledge, the specific application of of skills and the nuanced intangible aspects that make us all different and allow us to bring our own unique approach to the things that we do.
AI can provide us with a starting platform but without the human overlay there is no quality, consistency, or credibility and thankfully I don’t think we’re quite ready for a world like that yet.
Katy Hofstede-Smith, Maara February 2023