AI. It’s a technology that’s seemingly everywhere and that everyone’s talking about. So why isn’t AI already widely adopted for work? And how can you engage your workforce to embrace AI in their jobs? Read on for insights from the “2024 HP Work Relationship Index” that decode the common challenges to AI adoption and show you how to cut through all the hype and empower your workforce to embrace AI.
Obstacle 1: People feel overworked and short on time
At a time when hybrid and remote work are blurring the lines between home and office, it’s no wonder people are struggling to maintain work-life harmony. As workloads increase, they eat into the time we used to have to run errands and plan our lives.
Leverage AI to save time
People shouldn’t view using AI as one more thing on their to-do list. Instead, help them embrace it as a useful solution to work and personal lives that are becoming increasingly intertwined. Help people reclaim their time and focus on more meaningful work by encouraging them to use AI as their personal assistant for both work and life tasks. After all, AI is there to fuel personal productivity, using powerful performance to adapt workflows that create more time and space in the day to do more of the tasks that drive growth in a fulfilling way.
Obstacle 2: The idea AI may affect job security
Like with many new technologies—especially ones with this much media buzz—people worry that AI will be used to replace them. In fact, 36% of knowledge workers in mature economies worry AI will replace their job [1]. This is understandable, especially when AI’s capabilities are viewed in broad terms such as, “It can write articles,” or “It can carry on conversations with customers.”
Increase worker value with AI
First and foremost, communicate. Provide confident leadership and clear information about what your business hopes to gain from AI and how it can empower teams, not replace them. Help them view AI as a tool they can use to drive individual development as well as organizational innovation—to work better and more strategically. For example, by offloading tedious and repetitive tasks to AI, they can focus on the more meaningful and rewarding aspects of their work and life.
Obstacle 3: People aren’t sure how or when to use AI
The potential for AI to make our jobs easier and more enjoyable hinges on one thing: being able to use it effectively in that capacity. Understanding how and when AI can enhance tasks alleviates concerns and builds confidence in its benefits.
Inspire an AI-savvy workforce
It’s not enough for organizations to tell employees they can and should use AI. Clear guidance and training on how to apply AI need to come from the top. When polled, many business leaders agreed. AI has so many uses that drive creativity and enhance personalization, it’s hard to know where to start. Creatives could use it to turn ideas into images or to easily edit photos. Marketing managers could use it to create frameworks or optimize campaigns. Analysts could use it to quickly process data and identify trends. It’s best to set parameters and provide training.
Read the full guide from HP here.
[1] HP, “Work Relation Index: AI in the Workplace Report,” March 2024, https://publish-pro.hp.com/content/dam/sites/worldwide/apps/work-relationship-index/reports/ ai-in-the-workplace/us-en_ai-in-the-workplace.pdf
