Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper), The rise of AI has caused sensational accidents and vanguardist studies about replacing the human factor, mainly at work. Syndicates have gone into strikes, and Hollywood followed suit… but how real is the threat of AI replacing humans?
A whole generation was born on the idea of automated tasks in literally, every field. We want everything to be done for us when it comes to services, but at the same, we don’t want anyone to replace us at work. So, where is the balance?
We seem to want artificial intelligence [AI] to the point where it facilitates our lives. I asked 10 people whether they book their flights through an app, and how they prefer to handle last-minute changes to their bookings – without fail, they all said that they prefer talking to a representative instead of an answering machine or 15 different steps that might not get them to their desired result.
Job seekers receiving countless answers on their applications feel valued when an actual person responds.
People receiving AI-generated invites on LinkedIn or via email feel always a sense of disconnect when reading the content. It is generated to SOMEONE – not to them personally. In that instance, AI has lost the actual battle with humans.
AI-generated text is void of any sentimentality or human connection. It is a dry text that does get the message across, but not necessarily to the person reading it. It could be a billboard on the street, it’s that impersonal.
But AI is not just ChatGPT and random images – it goes beyond that. “Artificial intelligence is the simula8on of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. Specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing, speech recognition, and machine vision.” it garners its intelligence by tapping into a system of knowledge created by people.
There is power in AI, knowledge, and benefits to spread. Google took it upon itself to focus on the positivity and so are most tech companies that have received a backlash for either providing the tech support for it, or for advancing it so enthusiastically. AI can rapidly analyze and conclude in seconds. It doesn’t replace analysts completely, but it does help them do the job faster.
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There is a remarkable analogy that can be drawn to the day when Alan Turing invented the first version of modern compu8ng to help break and decipher the Nazi German’s code which helped Britain win World War II. According to Turing’s biographer,
Those were the early stages of AI, it did replace some aspects of cryptanalysts, but they didn’t disappear un8l deciphering codes became a thing of the past. Their jobs evolved into something else.
As we evolve with 8me, so does our ambition to build and improve AI, mimicking our achievements. A chain of events unfolded following the recent rise of AI, calling for people to be more engaged, more present, and more reliable. AI, so far, cannot process human emotions, cannot humanize an experience, and cannot replace a personal touch for stellar services. Data might help AI “measure emotions” but it is far from appealing to them.
Data feeds AI… but data is a form of communication; in a world that is increasingly driven by figures and algorithms, businesses find themselves in need of enhancing the humane side of the business.
There is a call for the humanization of the workplace with greater emphasis on mental health and wellbeing. Technology is not antagonistic to people, it should be complimentary.
Businesses are only as successful as the teams that build the network, the client’s relationships, and the ad service. Data might be able to provide an accurate description of the number of customers, the peak 8me for engagement, and how viral a post has gone. But cultivating relationships with clients, building a community, and gathering loyalty is far beyond numbers.
We often hear, “We’re going to that hospital, the service is impeccable, and we’re not treated like a number.” Most people wouldn’t make much of it, but again, it is a fact – people want to be seen, valued, and heard. Having a robot welcoming you or a machine giving you direction is stll a far-fetched and unwelcome project – for now.
Analysts and Comms are currently in high demand. Data-driven decisions provide a layer of accuracy and details that help solidify a company’s portfolio and build its brand recognition and loyalty. Bridging clients and brands is not an AI-generated step but is the result of a department, an 8-less team that’s there to listen, respond, and interact with people.
Communica8ons establish the threads that connect people with businesses. They might use different online platforms and AI-focused content or generate results, but it’s people who are driving decisions and executing plans.
The equation is simple…
Andrew Hodges, as quoted by the
New York Times, designed the Automatic Computing Engine: it was never built but Turing
believed that “the computer would offer unlimited scope for practical progress toward
embodying intelligence in an ar8ficial form.”
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[(teams x people) + (data x teams)+(AI x teams)]=decision-driven results by Comms + Marke8ng teams.
The emphasis is on teams. It’s the quality of your team that makes the difference not just the crisp presentation of your data. You can have the smartest of content, but the worst delivery – that won’t take you anywhere.
You can generate endless projects on Tableau or use visually appealing graphs with Google, but if your team is not eloquent, communicative, and most of all human-centered in their approach, the data won’t make a shred of difference. It’s the humanization of the AI-generated data that makes the impact.
Good communication, adequate tone, calibrated words, and target storytelling are the “coup de grace” that companies are seeking. Good data can be bought… Good communication teams led by passion and inspiration are rare to come across.
It’s connection and emotions that move the needle. If these two are coupled with smart data, it’s an elegant combination that few can pass on.
Companies might be able to find the talent, but the next step is to retain it. Another downside that AI might be resulting in is the dehumanization of the work culture.
A Gallup study shows that highly engaged employees outperform in business operations and outcomes, which in turn drives a company’s success. The study defined engaged employees as: “the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in both their work and workplace.”
Most employees spend more 8me in the office, with colleagues, than they do at home with their loved ones. The work environment needs to be a safe space… not an overwhelming system that will provide a monthly report with equations and figures about performance, threatening positions, and continuity. The company needs to have its KPIs known, its results registered, and its plans “enumerated,” but employees are not just about that.
The comprehensive “numberfica8on” of the workplace strips of any context and humane understanding by focusing solemnly on the very end of the path. Instead of motivating employees, this could have a crippling effect on productivity and stellar results.
This advances feelings of shame and blame, and focuses on the rhetoric of reward and reprimand; it does not celebrate the teams or their diversity, it pits them against each other, forgetting about inclusion and support. At this point, all everyone focuses on is clicks, numbers, and algorithms. Employees no longer feel comfortable, in their element, and emotions are at this point on autopilot, focusing on results, not the journey. It’s demoralizing and a zero-sum game for any company, which will start losing talent and ramping up turnovers.
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Crea8vity and innova8on some8mes hit us when we’re at our lowest. This is not to encourage therapeutic sessions during office hours but merely to suggest that when employees trust that their company culture respects and supports them; they’ll be able to deliver with far more enthusiasm and ambition. It’s a relationship at the end of the day, even if contractual. As long as there is a win-win situation, both will end up at the top.
A culture of feedback should be key, performance is not just metric-centered. Performance is showing up, efforts, engagement, camaraderie, support… providing constructive personal and presence-centered feedback can go a long way in humanizing the workplace.
Offices have become so dehumanized – organized and ranked by numbers, that leadership tends to overlook the importance of translating vision into operational tasks that consumption of human efforts put together. It’s a valuable piece of information: a company is not a machine… teams are not just parts of it. They’re the main engine… they all need to holistically and harmoniously work together, it’s not about the mechanics, it’s about the synergy and the dynamics behind the people. That’s where true success and productivity lies.
Every CEO wants their company to be the best place to work. The key is to focus on the people, the culture, and its ethos. It’s the simplest law of nature: the more you give, the more you get in return.
I often get asked if AI will replace people… potentially, some of the mechanical tasks, the very redundant parts of the job that necessitate 0 connection and absolutely no humane response. But where emotions are involved, where connec8ng is necessary, and where iden8fica8on is key, AI is far from being there. We’re humans, we like to connect, and so far, this is at the very basis of our very core.
Opinions expressed in the op-ed section are solely those of the individual author and do not represent the official stance of our newspaper. We believe in providing a platform for a wide range of voices and perspectives, even those that may challenge or differ from our own. As always, we remain committed to providing our readers with high-quality, fair, and balanced journalism. Thank you for your continued support.Sincerely, The Brussels Morning Team
