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The launch of ChatGPT-4o in May brought a flurry of activity, announcements, and discourse from tech companies, workplace experts, and employers.
Features including conversational speech and live translation left some debating what this meant for customer service and translation jobs, among others. Google also announced developments in its 2024 Google I/O conference including a sophisticated AI assistant.
But beyond the world of tech keynotes and product launches, employers are getting real about what AI means for their workplace. In the same week of the launch, many organizations eager to show their own progress revealed the latest details on how they are using AI.
Mastercard, for example, says AI is helping it schedule job interviews 90% faster, among other benefits including serving as a wellbeing guide and powering an internal talent marketplace called ‘Unlocked.’
“Using Unlocked, we can see skills across our employee base, learn where we have gaps, and develop learning paths or hiring plans to address them,” EVP of People Operations and Insights, Anshul Sheopuri, and Chief Talent and Organization Effectiveness Officer, Lucrecia Borgonovo wrote.
Similarly, financial payments technology company Klarna reported its internal AI assistant answers 2,000 employee questions daily, and that over 87% of its employees use generative AI in their daily work. And Microsoft boasts its billion-dollar AI investments have brought developments including an HR Virtual Agent bot that has led to a productivity gain of some 160,000 hours for HR service advisors by answering routine questions.
But these companies are not just pioneering new technology. They are also leading the way with AI skills development. Their investment isn’t just in new products, but also in supporting their people throughout the transition.
This approach is crucial. For many employees, the headlines above do not signal innovation, but illicit anxiety that their jobs, careers, and livelihoods may not be safe. The latest ChatGPT capability is not a breakthrough, but a sign that their skills or knowledge is no longer sufficient or relevant.
With only 14% of front-line workers saying they have received any AI-related upskilling as of a global 2023 Boston Consulting Group study, employers must invest more time in bringing their employees with them on the journey of AI innovation – just like Microsoft, Mastercard, and Klarna.
How to create a comprehensive AI reskilling program
The prospect of creating AI reskilling programs is daunting and may in part explain the shockingly small proportion of employees who receive development and training in this area. The topics are new, the applications are not yet understood, and the future is unclear. But employers must embrace this journey with employees together and bring them on the journey.
“Establishing an AI reskilling program requires a solid strategy and framework,” argues Simon Brown, Global Learning & Development Leader at EY, which has invested over $10billion into technology and skills development. “Creating a culture of continuous learning, curiosity, experimentation, and innovation is key to ensuring employees remain engaged and motivated to upskill in AI.”
Tailor training to individual skill levels
Brown argues before designing any program it is first necessary to understand the skills and knowledge needed for key audiences across the organization, including leaders, practitioners, or everyday users, including how AI will be used safely and which tools are recommended for adoption.
Within this, employers should appreciate that skill levels will vary vastly from worker to worker. Some will require more training than others. As such, programs should cater to individual skill requirements, leaning on strengths and filling knowledge gaps where necessary.
“Organizations should consider conducting a comprehensive assessment of their AI readiness and their anticipated future AI needs,” Brown states. “This information will lay the foundation for designing a tailored training curriculum with diverse learning options.”
Mastercard, for example, has introduced self-paced learning opportunities with customized content depending on an employee’s level or expertise in the area. “AI is an exciting tool, and that’s important to remember—it’s a tool that people use,” its statement says. “We view AI as a partner on our journey to improve the employee experience, and we work hard to create opportunities to use it but also to nurture conversations about it.”
Similarly, EY began with an ‘AI Now’ introductory program that has been completed by more than 200,000 people globally.
Encourage practical testing, failing, & learning
Employers should also be sure that their training courses of employees the experience to test, to fail, and to learn. Again, this is a collaborative journey, and reskilling programs are also an opportunity for innovation and for workers to discover new ways to offer value to the business, rather than fearing they may lose their jobs.
The HR Virtual Agent detailed above was created thanks to Microsoft’s scheme to train HR employees to become “citizen developers,” and thereby meet their own needs for AI automation. They had the freedom to build their own applications and custom tools, giving them new skills whilst creating valuable tools for the business. Similarly, Klarna CEO and Co-founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski says “We push everyone to test, test, test and explore.”
Look for development beyond AI efficiency skills
Brown emphasizes the need for organizations to encourage AI skills development beyond efficiency objectives, suggesting other areas of AI application also require attention.
“Efficiency is the first loop, but truly understanding AI’s potential and empowering employees to harness AI is not complete without second and third ‘loops’ that are often overlooked,” he argues.
According to Brown, the second loop is experimenting and learning to discover what we can do differently with AI that we couldn’t do before, and the third loop is considering what the world looks like now that everyone is using AI. By asking what they need to learn to operate differently in a new AI-powered world, employers have a useful framework to consider for adoption and integrating AI into broader upskilling programs.
AI reskilling programs must be augmented with clear comms
As stated in the introduction to this article, the leading employers aren’t just investing in new AI products, but also in supporting their people throughout the transition. Beyond development or reskilling programs, communication with employees is essential.
“This means explaining how AI can enhance work, familiarizing employees with its functionalities, and clarifying its potential and limitations,” Brown explains. “By doing so, employees can better understand how AI will impact their roles and daily tasks, fostering a supportive environment where they feel comfortable embracing new technologies.”
An AI transformation should be an open dialogue between employers and employees. It should be a collaborative journey toward a better future of work for all. And crucially, it should be built on trust.
