How to stem your nerves about artificial intelligence and the impact it might have on your career.
In this technology driven era, change is constant; it is our reaction to that change that defines how it affects us. The hard truth is that artificial intelligence is here and easily available to the masses now whether you like it or not, just like the internet and smartphones and numerous advancements that have fundamentally changed the way we live and work all in the last 40 years. However, thinking back over the past 100+ years you start to realize that change didn’t just start accelerating, it has been constant and as such, most of you have and will need to pivot and learn new skills over the course of your career lifetime. So how do you handle this latest interruption known quite generally as “AI” or artificial intelligence?
- Don’t Bury Your Head in the Sand: Artificial Intelligence isn’t going away so don’t pretend it is by looking the other way. Instead, seek out reputable resources to learn about this new technology from some of it’s creators like OpenAI, Google Bard and Microsoft Bing.
- Try it out: By using some of the open source and available AI chat services for free, you can start to see what all the “fuss” is about and why organizations and individuals are so excited about the possibilities. Similar to the App Store when it was launched by Apple, the excitement around AI is what products and services are going to be built using it, just like the millions of apps available at your fingertips through your iPhone.
- Start to think about how it might apply to your current role or job: There may be a way for you to leverage some of these AI tools now to make your role more efficient. It will benefit you greatly to come to your management team and identify ways that you have streamlined your job using AI to free yourself up for other projects. If some of your current responsibilities can be done using AI tools, it will position you in a better light that you discovered it then it was done for you and you are then eliminated.
- Become a subject matter expert in your department: AI right now is primarily a level playing field for most companies discovering it for the first time and thinking about how they can leverage it in their industry. Unless you work in an AI based technology group – most of this tech is not only new to you but also to your executive team and your direct managers. Your company could benefit from the opinions of someone on the inside doing the day to day operations and how AI could help get more work done more efficiently.
Research AI tools in Your Industry: Not sure where to start and learn? Start by looking at AI tools for your industry. You’d be surprised how many services have already been built to help with content creation, data entry, financial, legal services, image and design tools. Much of the software you already use is likely working on integrating some form of AI elements or tools within it. In doing a search for “AI Tools to Do a Powerpoint Presentation” there are already over 39 million results in Google!
Change is hard and uncomfortable for most of us but you cannot grow and learn new things without change. I don’t think anyone knows for sure where artificial intelligence will take us but the reality is we are already on this journey. It’s time for you to join in and explore how AI can potentially help YOU in your next career move.