Its fast rise was inevitable from the first early-access launch of language learning model ChatGPT, and from the swift arrival of various competitors in both language learning and image generation. It has been a buzzword for decades, but is today a buzzword with definition, three-dimensionality. And it is already in the workplace.
AI is also a divisive reality for modern workers, and rightly so. The existence of AI in professional environments poses a lot of difficult questions, from the safety and reliability of AI applications to the future role of such systems in the workforce – and what it means for workers now and in the future. Here, let’s explore some of the key aspects to AI in the workplace, from the benefits to the risks and concerns.
1. The Rise of AI in Modern Workplaces
AI technologies have been integrated with increasing swiftness across various industries already – and this is without counting the various existing technologies which have since adopted the ‘AI’ moniker to build on a growing trend. Businesses are leveraging AI for an ever-widening tranche of professional tasks, from data analysis and customer service automation to operational efficiency and beyond.
2. Benefits of AI: Enhancing Productivity and Efficiency
The existence of AI in professional environments is, on a surface level, of benefit to both employers and employees. For instance, AI-driven tools are being employed to streamline workflows and enhance productivity – allowing workers to reduce their in-tray without compensatory increases in staffing costs. The automation of repetitive data-entry and administrative tasks allows talented and skilled workers to better use their energy elsewhere, facilitating innovation in the process.
3. Potential Risks: Job Displacement and Workplace Safety
Of course, there is a dark side to the adoption of AI for productivity purposes. Rather than lightening loads for existing workers, AI can instead displace workers in administrative positions – or even replace workers in strategic positions. Workload remains the same for workers, but the business saves on staff costs.
This has a knock-on impact on the safety of workers, particularly when looking at logistics and other blue-collar industries globally. The unvetted reality of AI tech in governance positions opens workforces up to the risk of injury on site – and hence businesses up to letters-before-action from personal injury solicitors.
4. Employee Rights: Privacy, Surveillance, and Fair Treatment
AI programmes are often also given unfettered access to company databases, and even utilised as workplace surveillance technologies to monitor employee interaction, behaviour and productivity. High-profile examples of eye-tracking, computer monitoring and CCTV ‘following’ have already sounded the alarm on the presence of such technologies, their potential impacts on mental wellbeing and the potential illegality of such privileged access.
5. Ensuring Ethical AI Implementation
All of the above points to the need for a careful approach to AI adoption in the near future. AI is not ‘going away’, which makes its ethical roll-out more important than ever. Transparency, accountability, and inclusivity need to be leading considerations to prevent biases and discrimination; by understanding the importance of this, businesses and employees can better navigate the evolving landscape of AI in the workplace.
