AI is a hot topic these days, and for good reason. It's moving very quickly, and more companies are jumping on board (about 35% of them, according to recent research). However, while artificial intelligence can help boost productivity (among other benefits), it also raises the question of whether AI impacts the human workforce.
The short answer is yes; it is having an impact. But it is a largely positive one. AI and automation are geared towards helping human teams rather than replacing them.
AI makes things easier to do, predicts trends, and can improve digital security because it can learn. This frees your human teams to be more productive and innovative with their time.
Here are some other ways that AI is benefiting workers across several industries:
Reducing manual labor (and increasing safety for the human workforce) in warehouses
Automation has been around for some time in manufacturing and is getting smarter with AI. In modern warehouses, robots do many more tedious jobs that used to be reserved for the human workforce, like picking up and sorting inventory. Cobots are becoming more popular in 2023. They are made to work precisely with humans.
This may conjure up images of robots running factories without humans' aid. However, a study of how AI/automation is helping warehouse workers paints a different picture.
While some warehouse workers fear for their job, they also found automated tools helpful (60% had a positive sentiment.)
One reason for the positive feedback is increased safety. Robots can reduce the risk of injury to human workers, as they can safely carry heavy loads.
Many warehouse workers who were asked about robots said that they make their jobs easier. It also helps free up time to handle less repetitive or strenuous tasks while allowing them to do more exciting work.
Extending human creative capabilities
There has also been a lot of talk about how AI affects creative jobs, especially those that involve making art. There's no doubt that it's changing the landscape of the art industry. New image-generating platforms can create art in seconds with a simple text prompt.
However, AI in the creative world can also help human creators. For example, it can simplify the task of creating cover art that's perfectly geared to your publication (or article). This is primarily good news for self-publishers (and businesses) that need more money to hire a professional illustrator.
Professional artists can also use AI to explore new ideas. Yes, AI can draw what would take human artists hours or days. However, human input is still needed to prompt digital creations and fine-tune them to a client's liking. Only humans can decide if the final product fits the request.
While AI algorithms can generate impressive visual works, it takes human creativity, empathy, and awareness to give the outputs any real meaning.
AI boosts accessibility and opens opportunities in the workplace
Conscious and unconscious bias is an inherent factor when hiring new talent. As this report from IBM points out, machines do not have the same human biases – and can help identify barriers to diversity within the workplace.
By using AI in the recruitment process, hiring managers can better focus on identifying candidates based on their qualifications for the job rather than other factors. As the report points out, having more diversity in the workplace leads to greater access to skills, better customer relations, and an improved company reputation.
Automation and AI can also assist with the more tedious hiring tasks. Just like our Employee Onboarding & Offboarding Wrkflow, created to ensure new hires get settled with all their key information on file.
Meanwhile, AI can improve accessibility for your staff with disabilities through predictive text, speech-to-text, and even image descriptions. This further expands your ability to be an inclusive employer.
Reap the positive benefits of AI for the human workforce
Our take? Automation empowers teams, adding overall value to an organization. AI should be part of your digital workplace strategy, as 44% of firms report cutting costs across sales, marketing, customer service, and HR. However, human input is needed to form relationships with clients.
Humans understand the needs of other humans through empathy that a machine doesn't have. Human teams can also offer more personal support as the client's needs evolve.
However, this can be challenging, especially when your teams spend roughly half their workday dealing with emails!
That's why automation and AI are so important to the success of your business in today's tough market. AI makes people more productive by taking over tedious or dangerous tasks and giving them more information to help them make business decisions.
It can also be used to gauge customer satisfaction. For example, our Customer Retention & Growth Wrkflow automatically sends monthly surveys to identify improvements or even to gain referrals.
Wrk's hybrid delivery platform combines automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and human input to help your business stay competitive in a market that changes quickly.
Find out more by taking a tour of our services.
