4 Ways Generative AI Can Support Employees at Work

Since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022, Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) has emerged as a transformative technological force that is growing disruptively, unlocking endless possibilities, and capturing public imagination like never before.

August 6, 2024

The unprecedented rise and rise of Gen AI is the latest proof point of people and organisations across the board well and truly jumping onto the wider AI bandwagon. 96% of businesses today are actively interested in AI and 77% of them plan to ramp up their AI-related expenditures in 2024, with a significant focus on integrating Gen AI to optimise their day-to-day operations, improve employee productivity, accelerate innovation, and maximise value creation. As organisations navigate through the complexities of their AI journey and tap into different Gen AI use cases, there are equally wide-ranging implications on employees. On the one hand, there is unbridled potential for automating manually intensive processes and repetitive tasks using Gen AI tools which can save your time and boost efficiency in leaps and bounds. On the other hand, safety and integrity concerns regarding the usage of these tools continue to present pressing issues that need to be ironed out sooner rather than later.

As an employee, what does Gen AI have in store for you? Can it be your trusted companion that does all the “dirty” work and make your life easier? Or is it a wolf in sheep’s clothing that might make your job redundant one day? Amidst all the hype from the advocates and naysayers, it is unsurprising that most employees across different sectors and job functions are scrutinising the impact of Gen AI and anticipating what the future holds for them.

Gen AI solutions are evolving rapidly, enhancing their capability, accuracy, and integration through co-pilot solutions. This advancement provides employees with numerous tools to boost their productivity, streamline workflows, and improve overall efficiency.

Utilising Generative AI Tools at Work

From writing a punchy cover letter for your job application to designing a lead nurturing campaign, crafting an important status reporting email to coding your website in JavaScript, the applications of Gen AI are wide-ranging due to its innate ability to quickly generate text, audio, video, algorithm-based, and other relevant digital content by accessing the abundance of existing data. While the onus is on the C-suite to plan, design, and effectively strategise on incorporating Gen AI tools with the organisation, all employees, regardless of their job function and designation, should proactively equip themselves with the skills, knowledge, and first-hand experience of using these tools.

Looking at 2024 and beyond, here are some key trends that are shaping how you can utilise Gen AI tools in your day-to-day work.

1. Job Functions and Hiring Processes are Likely to Undergo a Paradigm Shift

Employees across front, middle, and back-office functions can benefit in different ways from using Gen AI tools. Sales and marketing, software engineering, customer operations, and product development are four functions likely to experience the biggest impact. The productivity of marketers alone could increase between 5-15% of the total marketing spend as they leverage Gen AI to create more personalised customer engagement campaigns, automate processes, conduct cutting-edge data analysis, and deliver compelling customer experiences.

Additionally, Gen AI is now being incorporated into the candidate recruitment process – used by both employers and prospective employees to put their best foot forward. For example, you can use a Gen AI assistant to quickly tailor your resume to the requirements listed on the job description or write a compelling cover letter that can increase the visibility of your application to recruiters and hiring managers. Yet, it is important to not overuse these tools and diminish the originality and credibility of your application, as employers are also getting adept at recognising the usage of Gen AI in candidate applications and adopting mechanisms to detect candidate fraud in the hiring process. Finding the optimal balance between Gen AI usage and human inputs is key for you to work smarter and achieve your desired outcomes.

2. It’s Not Gen AI Vs. Humans but Rather Gen AI + Humans

During the advent of most pioneering technologies, there is palpable excitement towards the transformative impact that they can have – both in the workplace and individual households. Think of the invention of the automobile, the development of the first personal computer, or the launch of the smartphone – all were hyped to be “true” game-changers. Yet, there was widespread scepticism that their adoption could come at the cost of human jobs and ultimately do more harm than good.

There is a similar polarising narrative today surrounding the adoption of Gen AI, but the feedback thus far from most employees is notably more positive than negative – 70% of employees believe that Gen AI tools can help them upskill, be more productive, and improve the quality of their work. This viewpoint is also backed by most experts, who believe that Gen AI, much like other disruptive technologies, will not directly replace jobs at scale but rather change the nature of tasks, activities, and skills we use to get work done. Rather than worrying about being replaced by Gen AI, the onus is on you to upskill yourself in utilising Gen AI tools that can help to streamline your tasks and assist you in executing them efficiently. Your ability to leverage the benefits of Gen AI tools can help enhance your productivity and performance at work as well as improve your job fulfilment, thereby helping you unlock your full potential and advancing your career progression.

3. Advanced Technological Capabilities Require Advanced Human Capabilities

If Gen AI is stepping up its game, you need to step up further and faster to be able to harness its true potential. While your Gen AI tool can help you search for information or generate chunks of content within a matter of seconds, learning how to utilise all its features is a skill in itself. Not to mention, there are other skills and competencies like critical thinking, emotional intelligence, coaching and leadership, and creativity that still rely on humans and cannot be easily replicated by technology. Therefore, the time that you save while using your Gen AI tool allows you to upskill in other aspects of your job, advance your problem-solving abilities, and make well-informed decisions that help you grow both professionally and personally. Constant self-learning, training, and education are key to not only help you keep pace with the rapid evolution of Gen AI, but to also stay ahead of the curve.

4. Beware of the Trust, Integrity, and Ethical Concerns While Using Gen AI Tools

While Gen AI has the potential to transform the way you work and execute tasks, issues regarding the safe and ethical implementation of Gen AI continue to emerge and cannot be taken lightly. Due to potential manipulation and data integrity issues arising from what is commonly called as AI hallucination, Gen AI tools may produce incorrect results at times and disseminate misinformation. It is important that you watch out for the potential bias and logic fallacies that might exist while using Gen AI and not regard it as the ultimate source of truth. Trust and safety are non-negotiables while using Gen AI, given the volume of data and the sensitivity of your organisational information that is being accessed. If you encounter any integrity issues or spot potential risks, you should immediately report it to the Risk and Security team or other relevant stakeholders in your organisation. The utilisation of Gen AI tools in a safe, secure, and reliable manner is a shared responsibility and requires collective ownership from everyone across the board.

As businesses look to complement generative AI with Real Augmentation Generation (RAG) and Agentic AI solutions, employees now have an unprecedented opportunity to maximise value creation at work and enhance the customer experience.

The future of work is rapidly evolving, with Gen AI being a catalyst in this transformation. As the end users, you have a pivotal role to play in leveraging Gen AI tools to boost productivity and operational excellence, while contributing to iron out reliability, trust, and safety issues. To unlock the power of Gen AI, it is paramount to equip yourself with the right capacity and capability to constantly learn, unlearn, and relearn so that you stay in sync with the latest developments. The very nature of work is changing by the day, and it requires you to be agile, to evolve, and be future-ready to capitalise on the vast ocean of opportunities.