Dan Turchin, the CEO of PeopleReign and host of the “AI and the Future of Work” podcast, emphasizes the importance of employee motivation and value in the workplace. He believes that when employers utilize AI to remove friction from work processes, employees are more engaged and become brand advocates. A study conducted by the Nielsen Norman Group found that AI tools can increase call center agents’ productivity by 66%.
While AI offers opportunities to improve productivity in the workplace, it also comes with risks. Generative AI tools may make biased suggestions, leak proprietary information, or recommend actions that are unsafe, unethical, or illegal. Organizations need to be aware of these risks and take proactive measures to prevent any breaches of company policies or harm to employees.
Turchin outlines three principles for exercising AI responsibly to ensure the future of work is promising. The first principle involves being cautious about relying on foundation large language models (LLMs) to automate employee service tasks. LLMs lack spatial awareness and reasoning skills, making them unsuitable for deterministic and predictable tasks, such as password resets or payroll management.
The second principle focuses on opting into virtual agent skills that align with specific approved topics to ensure employee safety. AI solutions, while proficient in rote memory tasks, may not excel in tasks requiring rational judgment, empathy, or critical thinking. Therefore, it is crucial to control foundation LLMs with the appropriate guardrails to avoid potential dangers, such as discussing suicide or sexual harassment.
The third principle prioritizes action-taking and cognitive abilities in AI solutions to optimize their effectiveness and safety in the workplace. Virtual agents must have the capability to process thoughts and execute tasks on behalf of users, ensuring that outcomes are constrained by fixed rules or contextual awareness. When automating routine tasks like travel booking, virtual agents must integrate with enterprise systems and perform data synthesis tasks for optimal orchestration of workflows.
Ultimately, the goal of AI in the workplace is to help employees achieve their best work by automating routine tasks and giving back productive time. Leaders must understand when and how to implement AI appropriately, considering factors such as task importance, predictability, and the capabilities of AI tools. By following the three principles outlined by Turchin, organizations can ensure that AI solutions complement rather than impede work processes, safeguarding employee safety and well-being in the era of technological advancements.
