Ascending with AI: how to leverage this technology in 2024

2023 was a roller coaster year for AI. The pace of accelerated change that we expect from the AI space was equally matched by uncertainty in leadership, standards and ethics. However this ride saved its biggest ups and downs for the end of the year. In quick succession:

• October yielded the Biden Executive Order for AI calling for safe, secure, and trustworthy AI
• Early November ushered in new intentions from the AI Safety Summit in the UK
• The end of November illustrated the fragility of AI leadership with leadership changes at OpenAI
• Meta restructured its Responsible AI team

And it doesn’t look like we are anywhere near the finish line.

We know that AI is here to stay, but while this technology can greatly enhance new ways of working, it is in a state of constant rebalancing and change. That makes this a great time to adopt from tried and true platforms while leaning into new experimentation.

Here are some ideas and possibilities for AI adoption as you go into the new year.

Start as you mean to go on

Knowing that AI has equal opportunity of optimising ways of working as well as displacing the human capital who form ‘work’ today, use the first quarter of 2024 to realign your digital workplace standards to your AI priorities.  Outline your value statements and establish a rubric for assessing the implementation of each use case against those standards. Ensure that your data privacy standards are up to speed with how AI ethics should be applied in both enterprise implementations as well as for new use cases in the office. You’ll need a solid foundation for the future.

Focus on productivity

Generative AI is a productivity enhancer. A recent MIT Technology Review found that an overwhelming majority of respondents (92 per cent) say AI is having a positive impact on their work and more than one-quarter call AI a ‘miracle’.

Everyone wants a strong start to the year, so piloting or implementing technologies that have a little mileage in them are low risk, enable productivity and are a great way to get some quick wins.  Platforms such as Microsoft’s Co-pilot 365 and Zoom’s AI Companion boast strong productivity outcomes while also enhancing creativity. Implementing one of these tools within your workspace could be transformational. And then you can look forward and consider how these technologies impact AV and conference room upgrades, community spaces and office services.

Spark creativity

AI can be utilised to create more creativity within your organisation, improve the in-office experience or energise RTO initiatives. For example, AI is the perfect partner in brainstorming and design thinking initiatives because it can work with even the smallest idea. With new integrations between Mural AI and Microsoft Copilot, you can bring design thinking and team collaboration to life, taking your whiteboards and conference room technology initiatives to the next level.

Or perhaps you’re piloting a digital concierge to connect employees with office services or considering a robotic dog like the ones created by Ghost Robotics. The second evolution of AI is a significant step forward in human-like (and animal-like) interaction, and agents can be trained more easily than ever through foundational models. Integrating employees into the learning and training process with tools like these can do wonders for office engagement and insert some pizazz into the office experience.

Due to its accessibility, ChatGPT reached one million users in five days.  Previous adoption from other platforms such as X, Facebook, Spotify and Instagram took anywhere from two months to two years to achieve the same base of users.  It’s likely that nearly all of your company’s employees have already used generative AI in some capacity and they will expect the same exciting capabilities at the office.

So, keep AI in the front row of all of your workplace initiatives, and buckle up – it’s going to be a wild ride in 2024.

WORKTECH Events is pleased to announce Jessica White as a specialist advisor on AI for the forthcoming year. Jessica will identify key themes about AI and the workplace for its influential global Events series, now in over 40 countries. Jessica was also featured in an episode of the Unworking Podcast, discussing how companies can embrace the AI revolution.

References

Anuj Mudaliar, Spiceworks. (2023). Meta’s Restructuring Operations Results in the Dissolution of Responsible AI Team

Microsoft. (2023). Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot – your copilot for work

Randy Swineford, MIT Technology Review. (2023). Generative AI is empowering the digital workforce

Taryn Plumb, VentureBeat. (2023). Generative AI will improve efficiencies and spark creativity in the workplace

Mural. (2023). Meet your new teammate: Mural AI

NTTData. (2023). How generative AI is evolving

Ghost Robotics. (2023). VISION 60