Key takeaways from the "Building an Augmented Workforce" panel discussion

Due to increasingly worrying labor shortages, an AI-augmented workforce slowly but surely makes a place for itself within companies in different industries. On day 1 of TechEx Europe’s AI & Big Data Expo, a rather interesting panel discussion took place – Building an Augmented Workforce, with the help of AI.

Our CTO, Dragan Gajic with Aoibhinn Reddington, Head of Strategy for AI-Powered Operations at Deloitte, and Rens van Dongen, Senior Information Security Officer at Dutch Railways, were sharing their experiences and thoughts on this topic. Here are some of the key points they unanimously agreed on.

Building an augmented workforce panel discussion participants

AI won’t take away our jobs, it will transform them

All participants agreed that AI won’t take our jobs away. In fact, it will transform them. Even though technology today is an important part of every organization’s competitiveness, people remain essential. They’re the ones driving innovation and working on complex tasks. With the help of AI, people can now create a more accessible and inclusive work environment, while at the same time employee well-being, human connection, and collaboration are fostered in the best possible way. AI increases efficiency and effectiveness and saves a lot of time spent on operational tasks, giving us the possibility to enjoy our work more.

It’s only fair to conclude that it’s not about replacing us; it’s about enhancing our capabilities to deliver faster and better service.

Don’t try to fight it, embrace it

There are and there will be numerous policies and rules surrounding AI implementation. The main message to the top managers in any industry is: Don’t try to fight it, embrace it. Don’t try to stop it by creating policies, as people will find a way around them. In our era of digital transformation, employee’s time should be spent on company strategy, new product development, establishing a business booster, corporate culture, etc. Since most companies involved with AI are now in the middle of a fundamental shift, the question of how to achieve smooth human-machine collaboration becomes a priority. The answer is: Make it available, user-friendly, and a part of your corporate culture.

Start small

AI is a powerful tool, but it’s essential to approach its implementation with caution, especially regarding security. Not all companies are ready to jump right into it. In this phase, a tendency is to think about the strategy, but start small since there are a lot of low-hanging fruits in terms of increasing efficiency and internal processes. Begin by proving the concept and gaining the trust of people in the organization. When you have trust, scaling comes a lot easier. Also, every company must carefully consider what is feasible in their industry, their company, and the market they are active in – and then create a strategy based upon that analysis and predictions.

– Dragan Gajic, Group CTO