Successful AI Integration Requires a Human Touch

By Brett Barton, Vice President and Global AI Practice Leader at Unisys

Artificial intelligence is transforming how organizations innovate and compete, amplifying human potential to unlock creativity and efficiency. Our recent research found that the vast majority of executives surveyed (93%) believe AI will be a permanent part of their organization’s strategies in the future and 89% say they expect their company’s use of AI to increase in the next year.

Companies must adapt now or risk being left behind. In order to do this, businesses need a clear roadmap for AI strategy and how their employees will use the technology.

While public discussions often focus on AI’s societal impact, forward-thinking organizations know that the true power of AI lies in its synergy with human expertise. Organizations that successfully integrate AI with human insight greatly increase successful implementation and ROI. This means including workers in the development of AI tools and making sure they are trained in their use.

Start with the use case, not the technology

In this fast-paced technological environment, many organizations feel pressured to adopt new technology like AI in order to remain competitive. Like any business endeavor, if it’s worth doing then it’s worth creating a clear plan based in strategy. This is why it is important to focus on business cases for AI that hold the most value for your organizational objectives and can achieve a tangible ROI, rather than fixating on the technology itself.

Taking this approach can be felt across a company. Workers in organizations with clear AI strategies report increased job satisfaction and career growth opportunities, according to Unisys research.

AI is everywhere, in every industry

AI is being applied in a wide range of sectors – more than most people realize. It is revolutionizing how employees work, enabling them to be more efficient and deliver better results for customers.

In the healthcare industry, AI helps frontline workers deliver better patient care. For example, AI can analyze test results and patient data to craft personalized treatment plans, monitor patients in real-time and improve surgical precision. These tools can also streamline scheduling, billing and customer service tasks. AI can also help ensure more people have access to care by equipping telemedicine platforms with remote diagnostics and health consultations. The benefits go beyond the doctor’s office, with virtual health assistants offering patients medical information to help them adhere to treatment plans.

Within the manufacturing industry, AI can be used in many ways, from enhancing productivity to assessing quality of work and troubleshooting and optimizing workflows. AI algorithms can process data from machinery sensors to detect maintenance requirements, reducing both downtime and maintenance expenses. Additionally, AI-based computer vision systems inspect products for defects. These systems also perform tasks that are repetitive, hazardous or demand precision beyond human ability, boosting productivity and workplace safety.

In finance, AI is improving customer service, fraud detection and risk management for both small and large financial institutions. AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants can handle common inquiries, assist with account tasks and guide customers through various processes. These sophisticated algorithms can detect and prevent fraud through analyzing transaction patterns in real-time to spot anomalies that may indicate suspicious behavior. Financial institutions can also use AI to improve the accuracy of assessing credit risk, underwriting and investment risks. Individuals can use AI tools as well to better manage their financial lives.

Read More: Can AI and DEI Coexist?

AI and the employee experience

AI has the potential to create significant improvements in the day-to-day work lives of employees. Among employees surveyed in companies using AI, 71% report improved job satisfaction due to AI implementation. An even larger majority, 85%, believe it will positively impact their job satisfaction in the future. More than eight out of ten employees say AI helps them to streamline routine tasks (84%) and AI has a positive impact on day-to-day productivity (83%).

Rather than fearing job displacement, workers in organizations with clear AI strategies report increased job satisfaction and career growth opportunities. A majority of employees surveyed (61%) believe that AI will create new jobs, compared to 39% who believe it will lead to jobs being cut.

The study reveals that AI can accelerate employees’ advancement within their current career paths and create entirely new career opportunities. Approximately 4 in 5 (79%) of surveyed employees believe that AI skills will help them progress faster in their careers, and 44% of those who have saved time using AI report using that extra time for training or professional development.

However, the impact level is closely linked to a company’s investment in AI. Organizations with a longer history of AI use and clear efforts to integrate it into their business strategy see higher job satisfaction among employees.

Use of AI can also better attract talent. More than half of employees (55%) surveyed say that a potential employer with more up-to-date technology than their current company and a clear vision for how to leverage new technologies (49%) would play a significantly positive role in their decision to accept a position at that company.

Invest in AI training and change management

Implementing AI has its challenges. Leaders must maintain employee satisfaction, retain talent and ensure AI enhances rather than hinders productivity. However, organizations that blend technological implementation with human-focused strategies achieve the strongest AI outcomes.

As most organizations lack adequate AI expertise, there is a significant talent gap. Hence, companies that invest in AI skill development and establish clear governance frameworks gain an edge over competitors who focus only on implementing the technology.

For AI implementation to ultimately succeed, companies must not only establish a solid use case but ensure that employees understand how to use it. In addition to the basics like data maturity, quality assurance and security, success will also hinge on education and training – and often organizational change management – to ensure that end users are leveraging the technological innovation at full capacity so that ROI is realized.

To access the full benefits of modern-day AI services, the workforce must understand the importance of working with it rather than against it – and that requires commitment to involving employees in the development of AI tools and training them in the new technology. When AI is thought of as a constructive collaborator to pair with individual creativity and ingenuity, the results can be remarkable.

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