Skill up, Scale up: exploring use of AI at work

“Remember the good old days when we used to complain about our boss being a machine? Now we complain about our boss being an algorithm!” This sounds like a joke but its levity to discussions about the role of AI in the workplace.

AI is not a self-generated genius as you think, you have to ask it to do something, but you better be very specific about what you want, or else you might end up with unintended and unwanted consequences!” This reality check means its important to take extra care of ethical considerations when using AI.

“AI may be good at predicting the future, but it can’t predict when the your computer will break down!” This humorous example reminds us that AI has its limitations and that human skills and knowledge are still essential in many aspects of work.

“The good news is that AI can automate many routine tasks, so you can focus on more creative and fulfilling work. But its not always rosy, there is the other side of the coin; the bad news—your boss will expect you to be a data scientist, a coding expert, and a robot whisperer all at the same time!” This highlights the challenges and expectations that come with the use of AI in the workplace.

Its kind of weird that we are starting to discuss, our jobs with artificial intelligence, and many fear for their jobs and careers.

Will robots take over our work?
Will we become obsolete?
Or will AI help us become more efficient, creative, and fulfilled in our jobs?

One thing is for sure: AI is here and believe it or not changing the workplace.

That’s where the “skill up, scale up” mindset comes in, learning new skills and scaling up our abilities to work with machines and algorithms. Guys, lets not be anxious and too serious with life worries, After all, AI is not the Terminator (at least not yet). So, let’s explore the use of AI at work with a little bit of humour, reality check, and questioning mindset.

“Hey Alexa, can you do my job for me?” While AI can automate many routine tasks, it still needs human oversight and guidance. For now, we can rest our fears about being replaced by a robot just not yet.

We ought rather to focus working with AI to enhance skills and productivity. “AI is like a magic wand, but without the fairy godmother.” It can enable us achieve amazing things, but we need to be realistic about its limitations and potential risks.

“If data is the new oil, then AI is the refinery.” Data is everywhere, but it’s worthless without the right tools and skills to extract insights and value from it.

AI is like a toddler with a box full of toys. The box may be full of potential, but most times the toddler needs guidance and supervision. Our fears could be real but probably might be misguided because AI is not a crystal ball that will predict what the future holds, and neither will it solve our generational problems. We are not yet in that era. Our era seeks proactiveness and innovative in using AI and thus create new opportunities and value for ourselves and our organizations.

As we delve further and further into the Al world, we need to position our creatively to leverage AI to solve real-world problems and improve lives. So, fellow hustler its time to skill up, scale up, and explore the use of AI at work with a sense of humour, a reality check, and a willingness to ask thought-provoking questions.

The question is for you and me, are we ready to embrace the opportunities and challenges of AI today…