As AI is deployed increasingly to automate repetitive tasks, I keep being reminded that what we value will shift.
As AI is deployed increasingly to automate repetitive tasks, I keep being reminded that what we value will shift. Read my last Insight about adopting AI here
The real questions is should we use AI to automate repetitive tasks? Or does this take away the expertise and experience which is required for the task to be completed correctly. Where does the cost out weigh the gain?
I was watching acrobats at a circus this weekend and their performance was captivating. I appreciated their expertise. Watching someone so skilled perform what appeared to be impossible tasks was terrific.
Their expertise got me thinking about all the amazing change professionals I work with. They use their extensive experience, creativity, intelligence, and empathy to carefully and thoughtfully arrange presentations, workshops, demonstrations, and training to enable those affected by the change to adopt new ways of working.
But… their skills make their work look easy. No one sees all the thought, the research, the negotiations, and the long hours involved in delivering this positive change experience.
It causes a problem because the easier we make something look, the less valued it is. This means a lot of what we do might be thought of as ripe for automation because empathy, emotional intelligence, curiosity, and care for people are not visible. So does this mean we should be using AI to automate repetitive tasks? Or will the recipients of those tasks be missing out on the experience and authority that the true experts can bring to the table?
AI Automation does work well for repetitive tasks if there is a very clear criteria for right and wrong.
It’s important to remember that human relationships are full of grey areas and differences depending on the context, leading to a range of responses that only a human can select from in the moment.
Alongside the increasing use of AI, we will need to be vocal about the benefits of human interaction. AI cannot “listen” in the same way we can when someone speaks. I use AI to “listen” to what I say, create transcripts, re-order my words, summarise my keep points, and tell me when I am repeating myself.
It is useful, but AI doesn’t understand how I feel; it cannot hear the tone of my voice and tell if I am angry, stressed, happy, or excited. It will not be able to decide the most appropriate next step based on my emotional needs.
Change is an emotional and psychological journey, so while I am happy to use AI to help produce some of my communications, let us continue to value experts who are brilliant relationship builders.
