Replaced, Reskilled or Redesigned? How Will AI Impact Job Security?

Helen Starling, CEO of Paragon Workplace Solutions

We are living in the middle of a technological revolution, where artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a dominant force. Fuelled by the exponential growth of data, computing power and machine learning, the AI industry has the potential to reshape the very fabric of our societies, economies and industries. The industry is expected to be worth £321.83 billion by 2027. AI advancements and applications are sweeping across the globe, threatening to disrupt our industries and ways of working as we know them, but it creates opportunity – and organisations are facing an unprecedented challenge:

How can my business harness the power of AI while maintaining control, ensuring accountability, and developing the talent needed to thrive in this new world?

The truth is, that this shift will require businesses to adapt, innovate, and reimagine the future of work, training, and leadership. This is not just a technological shift; it’s cultural, economic, and societal, demanding a fundamental change in how we collaborate and think. The winners will be those who master the art of control, monitoring, and talent development to unlock the full potential of AI and ensure success in the years to come.

Today, businesses can truly harness the power of AI within their operations in the quality and assurance space. However, the application of AI should be approached cautiously considering the lack of insight and regulation on how public data sets are composed and which data sources are utilised. This is a big concern, considering the copyright and infosec requirements many organisations must uphold. I believe the true winners in the AI space will be organisations that give AI the focus it deserves and train internal AI models on closed data sets that mirror the intricacies of their operations.

Understanding the Current State of AI Adoption

On the 30th of November 2022, the birth of Chat GPT marked a significant milestone for AI. Nearly two years later, it has transitioned from being a novelty to a tangible reality, with 85% of businesses envisioning their companies becoming AI-driven by 2028. What does this mean? AI is now being leveraged to drive business value, improve operational efficiency and unlock new revenue streams. Its evolutionary journey closely mirrors that of computers but on a dramatically accelerated timeline. 

As the pace of progress accelerates, the ever-expanding capabilities of state-of-the-art AI models will garner more attention from businesses, similar to the way they did with computers. However, despite this promising start, many businesses are still struggling to move beyond the pilot phase when it comes to AI. This is largely due to challenges such as a lack of AI talent, inadequate data infrastructure, and unclear metrics for measuring return on investment. Moreover, the AI landscape is also marked by a growing digital divide. Some countries and regions, such as the EU, are forging ahead on implementation and regulation while others lag behind. Understanding these nuances and disparities is vital for businesses seeking to navigate the complexities of AI adoption and stay ahead of the curve.

As they do with digital transformation initiatives, organisations need to stay close to their expertise and the specific solutions they provide to the market, and apply AI models to enhance the experience of their products and services. They must also avoid the pitfall of thinking AI is a strategy to solve all their problems. AI has great power to enhance the experience of our products and services, but without succinct and clear application of the problem statements we wish to solve, we run the risk that the disruptive power of AI might overshadow its value.

The Future of Work and How AI Will Change the Way We Operate

What jobs will be replaced? How will my job and my industry change? When it comes to AI, there are still going to be many unanswered questions – and this is simply because we are evolving alongside it. However, one thing is certain: the future of work will be drastically different and this change is coming hard and fast. AI will not only augment business capabilities but also fundamentally transform the way we work together. We are on the precipice of an AI-driven workforce that will be characterised by unprecedented levels of automation, efficiency, and precision. Gone are the days of mundane, repetitive tasks. AI-powered bots and algorithms will take over the grunt work, freeing humans to focus on high-value, strategic decision-making. This should be seen as a positive – creative and more “human” work leads to further innovation. 

Recruiters and future candidates should remember this: The most sought-after talent will be those who can seamlessly integrate human intuition with AI skills, creating a symbiotic relationship that unlocks new possibilities for business growth, increasing salaries by up to 31%, accelerating career prospects, redefining all job roles, and creating new job categories. All are born from the intersection of human creativity and machine intelligence.

Building an AI-Ready Workforce.     

As AI continues to transform the modern workplace, it’s essential to recognise that the most significant challenge lies not in the technology itself, but in the people working alongside it. This will be a huge undertaking for businesses, considering a recent AWS report found that only 50% of employers provide adequate support for AI skills training for their workforce. An AI-ready organisation demands a workforce that is not only comfortable with change but also equipped with the skills to navigate and implement AI solutions.

Building this workforce requires a deliberate and strategic approach to upskilling and reskilling. It will involve identifying the critical skills gaps that exist within an organisation and creating targeted training programmes that address these deficiencies. It is no longer sufficient to simply possess technical expertise; employees must be able to work collaboratively with AI systems, understand the nuances of data-driven decision-making, and possess the creativity and adaptability to thrive in an environment of rapid change.

The future of business can be written by the power of AI. Only those businesses which master control and monitoring, invest in the right talent, and apply their AI models with clear problem statements in mind will be able to unlock the full potential of AI and stay ahead of the curve. The key to success lies not in resisting the change, but in embracing it and harnessing the transformative power of AI to drive prosperity for our own businesses and our clients.