Episode #47: AI Will Cost You...If You Allow It
AI Will Cost You…If You Allow It Professional workers exploring AI/Human harmony First, along with the term “human capital”, let’s scrap “white collar” and “blue collar”. I’ll use them here for a moment to set up the explanation, but let’s push these aside. They’ve had their day and don’t reflect modern values of how we categorize people and their work. We wonder why we have such a gap in trades talent and university and student loan debates? We have devalued certain work in favor of other work and continue to refer to it that way - it’s just a different kind of work. It’s well overdue to change the moniker. —> Talent capital, not human capital —> Professional or thought-based work, not white collar —> Productivity or physical work, not blue-collar The verbiage needs some work, but with all the catch phrases out there about work, which I prefer not to use in many cases, phrases describing quitting, firing, working location, etc., we’ll think of something more modern and respectful. When Generative AI (artificial intelligence) first broke out in more of the common public domain for usage, testing, and understanding, ChatGTP, etc., many thought that blue-collar or physical productivity workers, would lose their jobs, but as AI has advanced many continue to see and speak up about the realization that AI is not taking blue-collar jobs, at least initially, it’s taking more professional jobs, knowledge work, or “office” jobs. AI taking office jobs? AI is targeting the low-hanging fruit with replacing the tasks, activities, and work with repeatable, easily readable, and recognizable for tech, in order to copy, learn, and utilize. AI is targeting work that can be done without that human touch, without the human judgment, without the feel for people or non-factual decisions or process. Work can be submitted for human review, and things of this nature. This does not mean the work these professionals has no value, it does not mean this work is done “better” by technology, but what it does mean is that some companies have decided to operationalize AI to take this work on for what they consider as comfortable for the initial steps for AI to produce. I am not here to say what’s right or wrong, rather, sharing perspective on how companies seem to be looking at it. Organizations will save money, find efficiencies, and become more productive where they can, and if AI accomplishes this with limited risk, many firms will do it, or at least test it, and then do it at some point in the future. The market dictates this approach with competition and expectations, and it is a part of the adventures of capitalism. And we have been here before, and will have tipping points of this nature in the future. It’s business, it’s life. This is not meant to de-sensitize any layoffs or people impact - that is real and that is a hard part of any change, business evolution, labor market realignment, or organizational transformation. In the long run these points are often a great thing with opportunities for growth and abundance increasing, but the short-term hurts, especially at an individual-level, and of course also at the organizational level. - Graham Peelle The firms you think of that are developing more for physical work (Figure and Optimus to name a couple), where AI is heavily engrained with interacting in the physical world, are in the thick of it. They’re making major strides, but it’s intensive to conduct physical work through technology compared to the professional or thought leadership side of things- physical world requires, physical testing at some point, with real product, real impact, and for all to see, whereas digital work is often not noticed or recognized as much for the professional digital behind the scenes impacts. If you can’t see it, the public often won’t care, but if a robot makes coffee, or changes a tire, now people are watching. Think about early on for the first few months, following AI really breaking out, you heard about some of the major consulting or tech firms, and now you’re seeing the tech blitz, which has gone over for a year now. Remember Salesforce laid off a share of its workforce in January 2023, and now we’re in February 2024 and we’re just getting going. Those layoffs started as early as Q3/Q4 - 2022 for some tech firms. What does this mean? This is not meant to scare anyone, as it seems like many are seeking more information, trying to absorb the benefits, impacts and realities, and clarity, but remember, with how fast technology advances now. Buy the time we are comfortable, the world is going to change, a lot, and the exponential pace of change seems more and more challenging to “keep pace with”. This isn’t sounding an alarm - the alarm has been going off for awhile, but to bring some perspective to consider taking a breath and see how you can fit into this landscape of work, as the world of work changes, quickly. If there is one wake up call to consider, it’s to make sure that you are positioning yourself and your career to use AI as a tool with your job, and not complain about it, worry about it, try to push it off on someone else, but to figure out how to use it in your company, in your role, in your next job, in your new business, or to help other businesses do the same. Elon wanted to slow it down? I haven’t done research on the specifics, but remember, even Elon was calling for more review of AI and its impacts, direction, guardrails, etc., to no avail. That may have been a tactic to slow one kind of tech, move attention, or criticize, but it’s something to consider - can anyone slow it down if they wanted to? Unlikely. If Elon can’t slow it, and was pushed aside, if Congress didn’t make it their priority and take it to the limits, how are you going to slow it down, or anyone else for that matter? One example of the power, is with Sam Altman and the OpenAI board - Sam Altman was brought back in within a few days because of his power, relationships, and leadership, and the power of AI. AI Is already making an impact and his reputation and his team’s, is built on the AI engine. A CEO fired and brought back in with a few days, how often do you see that? Now he’s talking about raising $7T to make chips? That’s a different level. Ironically, this swift flip flop move, may have been more about people than tech. If you want to worry about AI, go right ahead, but we all know that’s not productive. That doesn’t move the needle and that doesn’t prepare anyone, and positions you more and more into being redundant. The best way I can explain, and really wrap my head around AI and how to best embrace it, is in a (hopefully) sensible and professional manner viewing it through the lens of the human experience and the human impact which comes down to three areas: Work with AI, and look at AI as your assistant, worker, resources, or as a tool, not your replacement Thinking about this about AI as your replacement you’ve already lost If AI can’t do it. People still hold an advantage when it comes to the human feelings, the connection, the camaraderie, the people, synergy, and community, that requires just that, people Whether relationships, quality content, product, productivity, ideas, thought leadership, or people leadership, AI isn’t ahead, yet If you’re comparing yourself to AI, it’s not going to go well in the long run Differentiation from what AI provides and does, along with working with AI instead of fighting it That’s the next generation of professional work, and physical work, and all work What can you bring forward that AI cannot How can you operationalize AI? Learn, explore, get curious, and understand how you can use, learn from, work with, and accept AI for what it is, and understand what it’s not Above all, understand it and explore before judging or being paralyzed by fear…there may be something you learn that changes your perspective Cars - the masses wanted a better carriage or horse performance, making fun of cars Steve Jobs - said there would be a phone in everyone’s pocket with access like a computer ATM - Many thought it would cost the jobs of tellers, and some say there were eventually more tellers after ATMs were introduced And the list goes on… For me, what is essential with AI transformation is how we bring people along with us. Bringing people along with us will be the difference, and considering how AI impacts humanity. We must make AI work for us and find ways to integrate in our lives. Making our lives higher quality, more efficient, easier productivity, profitable, or make AI do good. What we cannot do is let AI eat opportunity for people and not make opportunity for people, AI is something we are creating, so why not make it a force for good that helps create for people. I am excited to help lead some small peace of bringing AI-human transformation into AI-Human Harmony. - Graham Peelle Adapting and embracing the AI transformation and evolution is essential, otherwise you get crushed by it. Does that mean your car repair shop needs to worry today, no, but what this does mean is the need to embrace AI, digital automation, tech in general, at some point. Firms and people that are receptive to this concept, will embrace and thrive, and If they are not open, there is a great chance that businesses of most types will eventually cease to exist, if they don’t grow with technology. It’s either your time to go into a bunker and hide from AI or embrace it and learn how you can make AI work for you and everyone. It’s humans working and technology, which means it’s a future of work aligned with Talent+AI. Hopefully, this added a little value to building your organization. Thank you for reading. Please repost or share with someone who may benefit from this edition. Below are a few resources that have helped me understand a lot of where the world is and is headed. Climb Higher | Raise Your^ROI CONTENT RESOURCES VirtualityHQ - Innovation, Virtual Tech Leadership & Staffing VirtualityHQ is an Innovation Leadership company that empowers businesses to thrive. We help organizations with Innovation Departments, Virtual Tech Leadership & Staffing. virtualityhq.com Graham Peelle on LinkedIn: CAMERON HEROLD shares an efficient way for leaders to learn to adapt with… CAMERON HEROLD shares an efficient way for leaders to learn to adapt with AI. Cameron also explains in his own way… AI won’t replace you as a leader or… www.linkedin.com/posts/grahampeelle317_alex-hormozis-approach-to-ai-is-underrated-activity-7161418426576506880-KQeW?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop Scott Galloway on LinkedIn: Corporate Ozempic | No Mercy / No Malice | 131 comments The media narrative about the recent #layoffs is that these companies are shedding the excess weight they put on during the pandemic. However, I believe that… | 131 comments on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/posts/profgalloway_corporate-ozempic-no-mercy-no-malice-activity-7166868152126001152-BSJs?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop 2024 Acceleration: Are You Evolving with AI? AI is here and will continue to grow, but it won't cost jobs that should be kept, it will take jobs that were meant to be taken. Throughout history, you look at times of significant economic and technological change, and it cost jobs in the short run in many cases, however, it also created a lot of jobs in the long run. https://grahampeelle.com/published-works-✍%EF%B8%8F/f/2024-acceleration-are-you-evolving-with-ai BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley on Apple Podcasts Technology · 2024 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bg2pod-with-brad-gerstner-and-bill-gurley/id1727278168 a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts Technology · 2024 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Join “Build 10x Scale” - Connecting managers, execs, & founders, creating the next level of Performance, Leadership, & Culture. Be the boss you wanted: Scale your biz 10x. Open now at a low introductory price for the first 20 members ($19/mo, cancel anytime). Launching 3.4.24. OpCo — Organizations | People | Culture | Operations If a Performance Operations Culture means something to you, and you would like to be notified for content focused on challenging the status quo in the world of work, please share or repost for others, and make sure you click the 🔔 on my LinkedIn profile page. For additional daily content, check out grahampeelle.com. You can also find additional weekly articles on Medium. Climb Higher | Raise Your^ROI LEARN: Learn | Explore | Ambition | Reform | No
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