Dispelling the Myth of Job Displacement: AI and Transformation

The business landscape -- regardless of industry -- is undergoing a fundamental transformation with the rise and rapid adoption of generative AI (GenAI). Every company is sitting on a mountain of data that can be analyzed in new ways. Companies are now rethinking how, when and where they integrate GenAI to streamline their operations. 

But much like the expansion of PCs in the late 1990s -- or robotics before then and smartphones since -- this shift has created a common misconception in the workforce that AI means job displacement. However, what we learned from these previous evolutions is that the initial fears of job upheaval were largely unwarranted. Rather, each of these technological advancements paved a long path for economic growth, new jobs in the technology sector, and increased productivity in various industries.

This also remains true today. Integrating AI presents new opportunities for businesses to operate faster, smarter, and more efficiently. Leaders will play a crucial role in providing team members with the skills and tools required for business task transformation to ensure the promise of AI comes to fruition.

Nurturing a Mindset Where Employees Are Not Threatened by AI

Many business leaders are excited about the potential prospects around GenAI. However, that optimism does not necessarily carry through entire organizations as headlines prevail around the impact AI has on job security, and fears are further fueled by rising uncertainty across industries. Employee angst is high, and it is leading to questions about the acceptance of the technology, spurring a potential threat as this could lead to a larger resistance to change and AI adoption. To avoid the stalling of AI developments, businesses need to shift their thinking from a defensive attitude to a more people-centric approach.

In my role, I can learn from and talk to many customers about how to reframe the AI narrative in their respective workplaces. I encourage them to start by positioning the “A” in AI as augmentation rather than artificial -- meaning that there’s always a human in the loop, as people generate better outcomes. This view strikes a chord with the greater workforce because it shows the value of the worker, and it also helps people realize that every job can be disaggregated into bundles of tasks. Some tasks are more suited for enhancing with AI while others are suited for eliminating or handing over.

When you look at it this way, AI doesn’t replace a worker’s responsibilities. In fact, it drives efficiencies across some parts of the job, which in turn frees up employees’ time to be reinvested in other areas that require more strategic skill sets.

Any company looking to or already starting to integrate AI technologies into their business, needs to be effectively communicating the demand for human-AI collaboration and importance of adaptability in the modern workforce to give employees a reason to embrace the technology, rather than fear it.  

Developing Strategies for Upskilling and Reskilling the Workforce

Companies have come to realize the importance of cultivating a culture of continuous education and learning and development (L&D) programs have become table stakes in today’s most successful companies. Now in this new world of AI, businesses that can scale their L&D programs will not only address the AI skills gap but will also position themselves to achieve more while attracting and retaining top talent.

As companies build out their approaches for connecting employees to AI technologies, leaders need to identify tasks suitable for automation and then establish clear guidelines for how employees should work jointly with AI. Here are some key considerations for developing an AI task delineation strategy:

Separating the Headlines from Reality

Despite some of today’s hype, AI is not coming for people’s jobs. Rather, it will transform the tasks of the workforce -- just as the introduction of the PC and smartphone did. AI is a fantastic assistant, and this has to be harnessed well. From productivity gains and job creation to economic growth and new industries, the excitement around the possibilities of AI is warranted. But winners of the AI era will be the companies who prioritize employee readiness at the onset as they will harness a competitive edge through the harmony of humans and automation.   

Getting Started and Learning from AI Deployments

At Lenovo, we’re addressing the needs of complex and fast-moving markets that we serve by drawing upon AI and machine learning. We’re using Lenovo technology, resources, and intellectual capital across 200 global markets to transform our business. We call this approach, “Lenovo Powers Lenovo”, and we’re already seeing real results of embracing AI throughout our business:

• 98% acceleration in production scheduling

• 60% faster supply chain decision-making

• 24% increase in manufacturing production line capacity utilization