The 6 Traits You Need To Succeed in the AI-Accelerated Workplace The digital workplace is transforming as AI copilots become commonplace.
By Gaurav Aggarwal Edited by Micah Zimmerman
Key Takeaways
- AI copilots can provide valuable support, but humans need to exercise critical thinking skills to interpret data.
- Human-to-machine interaction is critical in AI-accelerated work environments.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The digital workplace is changing, and more employees are equipped with AI copilots. It's like having five interns at your disposal! Is the productivity of the most skilled employees going up? One thing that you may have noticed is that ChatGPT has become the interface between two conversations. We ask ChatGPT to draft an email for us, and on the other end, ChatGPT summarises the same email in its polished language! This situation should make us realize that copilots and chatbots and a plethora of other tools are, in fact, not the pill to the problems.
ChatGPT was launched in late 2022 and pushed as a complete world changer with breakthroughs happening left, right and center. Accenture reports that around 40% of all working hours could be impacted by large AI language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT-4. That hasn't happened at the pace promised, but certain small groups are leveraging it to its potential. The size of successful tech companies is shrinking day by day. What are the traits of people pushing this? What should you do to be better in this changing world? Here are the six traits to sharpen to be a winner in this new age!
1. Communication
In addition to traditional human-to-human interaction, human-to-machine interaction is critical in modern AI-accelerated work environments. Clarity and precision are crucial when communicating with AI systems.
Although AI agents have proved their capabilities in planning out tasks and executing them, an employee with clarity of purpose about all the stages of the task could leverage AI systems much more efficiently and faster than those who lack clarity and rely on AI systems even for planning out the task.
Related: How to Improve Workplace Communication (and How AI Can Help)
2. Critical thinking
World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Survey lists critical thinking among the 15 most essential skills in demand by 2025.
AI copilots can provide valuable support, but humans need to exercise critical thinking skills to interpret data, make decisions and solve complex problems effectively. For any area of study, there are various levels of understanding. The very basic is "You don't know what you don't know," then comes "You know what you don't know," next up is "You have the knowledge necessary to interact," and the final level is "You are the subject matter expert."
It's becoming important for employees to move from the last two levels, i.e., having a more critical and in-depth understanding of your craft. This point is essential for beginners and early employees.
3. Creativity
Creativity becomes increasingly essential in a world where routine tasks are automated. Employees need to think outside the box, generate innovative ideas and find new ways to add value beyond what AI systems can provide. The current generation of LLMs are popularly known as "Stochastic parrots," which means they can "generate" coherent language but intrinsically don't understand the meaning of the knowledge.
The field's advancement rate is such that it is inevitable that models will potentially be creative. However, the interface currently with models is of interaction, and thus, the creative thinking process of people is what will set those who accomplish things apart.
Related: Is AI A Risk To Creativity? The Answer Is Not So Simple
4. Adaptability
Modern-day knowledge workers need to adapt to new technologies and workflows quickly. As a great horse rider becomes one with the animal, their movements are synchronized naturally. In the same sense, modern-day knowledge workers need to become one with AI assistants/bots and synchronize and adapt their style and pace of work with all the latest tools and technologies being introduced.
Different AI systems may have varying interfaces and communication protocols. Hence, modern knowledge workers need to adjust and adapt to effectively use the available tools and technologies. Employees who can quickly adapt to new workflows are great assets and highly valued, especially in the current scenario.
5. The ability to break through resistance
The people who overcome the inertia of getting things done will be the ones taking the chequered flag. This is especially important as the copilots continue to slowly eat away the redundant tasks in the jobs, leaving space for employees to focus on higher-value activities. The best thing to do is plan and take action to stay ahead of the curve.
Related: How to Keep Yourself Relevant in the Age of AI
6. Resilience
Resilience is the most important quality amid this mist of future job landscapes. It is the best quality an employee can have. It will equip one with the mental fortitude to embrace innovation, learn new skills, and confidently navigate unfamiliar territories. Resilience is the ideal weapon in the armory of modern knowledge workers to combat the devil of growing uncertainty.
Today, learning hard skills is increasingly easier. Modern communication tools, in sync with their mass spread, will put many people in the position of having a "knowledge worker job." Thus, it's extremely essential that you take note of these skills to stay ahead of the curve.
