We begin with q quest to understand what mid-level managers are thinking about AI, Machine Learning, and Automation in general across different organizations. One study conducted by the New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations caught our attention. When studying the impact of AI, we often reach out to experts and assemble some macro estimates. This study did exactly the opposite. The study reached out to several managers across different organization types to understand the impact of AI in their organizations. Three distinct themes emerged from managers.
– Managers mostly reported AI as cost savings initiative (instances referred in this theme include people savings involved in automating tactical activities)
– Many managers stated that AI is not the solution for every scenario (this shows that they are going through processes where they are finding it difficult to make AI real – like chatbots for customer service – it hardly works)
– Many managers also cited the lack of reskilling and training plan in the context of AI implementations – where is the human-centric design for the organization
The article largely states that if these are the themes emerging from middle-level managers about AI and Automation – we have a lot of work to do. Many of us know that there is a lot to be done. Both from technology implementations and the reskilling standpoint.
