We now see daily reports indicating that an increasing number of workers across various sectors are using AI tools to support their job functions, writes By Dr Chris Jardine, group CEO of Tsebo Solutions Group.
In a recently published article by the Harvard Business Review, the authors discuss the challenges posed by the unchecked and uncritical use of these AI tools. The article, aptly titled “The Risks of Botshit,” explores the consequences of relying on generated misinformation, which has led to some high-profile embarrassments, economic losses, and potentially dangerous advice due to blind trust in these systems.
This underscores a vital point as we move towards a world of working with ubiquitous AI: the indispensable need to know your stuff when making sense of the outputs of our AI assistants and tools.
This subject matter expertise is critical to interpret AI-generated insights accurately and to make informed decisions – it’s how we ensure that technology complements rather than replaces human judgement. The synergy between AI and human expertise is not just beneficial but essential for truly harnessing AI’s potential.
While AI can handle the heavy lifting of data analysis, recognise patterns, and generate incredible first versions of almost anything, it is our resident professionals whose mastery of their domains allows them to provide critical thinking, contextual understanding, and ethical judgement. It’s worth noting a few concrete examples of how this might happen in practice.
Consider how we would currently approach a marketing campaign for a catering business or a restaurant. AI might be able to help us analyse consumer behaviour data to identify trends and even suggest targeted campaigns.
But it is the marketing professionals who understand the brand’s voice, the market dynamics, and the emotional triggers of their audience. They can interpret AI’s insights and craft messages that resonate on a deeper level. For instance, an AI might suggest or even craft a campaign promoting vegetarian meals based on data trends, but a seasoned marketer knows how to tailor that campaign to align with the brand’s ethos and the cultural nuances of the target demographic.
In sales, the AI tools are at a state of maturity to identify potential leads, forecast sales trends, and even suggest the best times to contact prospects. However, closing a deal requires more than just data; it requires relationship-building, empathy, and an understanding of the client’s unique needs.
Sales professionals may use AI to gain insights into a client’s business and support a bid, but their sales expertise enables them to ask the right questions, address specific pain points, and offer tailored solutions that a purely AI-driven approach might miss.
This requirement to vet for appropriateness obviously applies equally if you’re accepting advice from an AI system as a recruiter assessing job candidates, a lawyer constructing an argument for a case, a doctor diagnosing patient symptoms, and many more.
Beyond these practical applications, there are also ethical considerations that AI alone cannot navigate. Issues such as data privacy, bias in AI algorithms, and the social impact of automation require human oversight at this dawn of the AI-enabled workplace. Subject matter experts are essential in identifying and mitigating these risks, ensuring that AI is used responsibly and ethically.
As AI continues to evolve and integrate into our economic and social fabric, the importance of having real expertise in what we are expected to do cannot be overstated. Given the mesmerising step-changes in technology being promised by the big AI companies, who publicly state an intention to deliver access to guru-level expertise in our AI tools, the stakes for our workforce are high.
Democratising access to AI tools as they become more affordable and safe is therefore crucial for empowering the entire workforce.
Looking ahead, it’s quite evident that success in the evolving workplace will be determined by an ability to combine the power of AI with the contextual understanding, ethical judgement, and innovative thinking of human experts. This balanced approach will ensure that our adoption of AI enhances rather than replaces the invaluable expertise, emotional intelligence, and other soft skills of our people.