April is National Stress Awareness month, and one of the constant stressors in employees’ lives is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Another major challenge for employees in 2024 is to come to terms with the fact that AI will eventually dominate the workplace. According to a recent Gallup poll, 22% of U.S. workers are worried they will lose their jobs to generative AI—a seven percent increase since 2021. Before leaders can help employees with the fears of AI taking their jobs, they must first understand the quandary themselves and have clear and factual explanations to the question on everyone’s mind, “Is AI a tool or a threat?”
According to a Quickbase survey, 54% of workers surveyed in the U.S. and U.K. say that it’s harder than ever to be productive in their day-to-day work. This is further proof that the way we’re working is no longer working. A main contributor to all this inefficiency is Gray Work—the outdated and spread-out tech and tools employees use just to get by. It causes the manual, repetitive and tedious tasks they’re stuck doing in between the work that actually drives results. In the age of AI, another factor is poor data collection. AI is only as useful as the data it’s fed, so without a strong and trusted way of collecting, tracking and recording data, AI can’t deliver the results you’d expect from the emerging technology.
In order to make their work easier, employees have started to seek out unauthorized software, according to Uzi Dvir, chief information officer (CIO) at WalkMe. I spoke to Dvir by email about the phenomenon of “Shadow IT”—the use of IT systems, software or services without the approval of the central IT department. He told me that it can occur when an employee uses an unapproved tool to access, store or share corporate data or when an employee accesses an approved tool in an unauthorized way. “Organizations should also want their employees to be able to do better work faster; there are undeniable benefits for both the individual and their company to employees using these apps,” Dvir states. “However, the fact that employees need to take it upon themselves to find and use unsanctioned software means that they feel something is lacking in the technology tools provided to them.”
Can AI help solve some of these problems to reduce employee stress? I spoke by email with Nikhil Arora, CEO of Epignosis, a global learning and development company, who offered four ways leaders can alleviate this stress and help prepare their employees for a more AI-dominated workplace.
1- Communicate clearly to empower. Arora emphasizes that AI is an asset for helping with repetitive tasks, crunching data and streamlining operations and processes. When employers impart this information to employees, he says, it will help change the way they work in a more positive and effective way, allowing workers to focus on higher-value work, the more creative or strategic aspects of their role.
He underscores the need for a well-rounded skill set and a growing significance of soft skills alongside AI adoption. “Educating teams on the importance of both hard and soft skills that AI can’t replace—such as critical thinking, adaptability, key interpersonal skills like active listening, empathy and genuine connection is paramount,” Arora notes. “By familiarizing themselves with the benefits of AI early on, team members can build confidence and adaptability, positioning themselves as valuable assets in an increasingly digital world.”
2- Invest in upskilling and reskilling tools. Arora believes that investing in comprehensive training resources is essential to support ongoing learning. “As with any technology, organizations and employees need to be trained in how to use AI effectively to reap the full benefits and avert potential dangers it poses,” he points out, citing TalentLMS’ latest survey on L&D trends for 2024 that shows training on AI tools is among the top three non-mandatory training topics employees want from their employers. “From implementing traditional methods like Learning & Development programs to more informal initiatives such as lunch and learns, integrating learning opportunities into the team's regular cadence promotes sustained growth,” he insists. “Making upskilling and reskilling a habitual part of the organizational culture ensures that team members are equipped to navigate technological advancements and other opportunities with greater confidence and competence.”
3- Encourage tech adopters to teach how AI is a tool not a threat. People place significant trust in their peers, Arora explains, so if they see one person implementing new ways of working through AI, they are likely to be more receptive to learning more about it or trying it out for themselves. “With five generations in the workplace, it's common for there to be a gap in confidence, he states, alluding to the TalentLMS study, which found that 58% of HR managers believe older generations will feel less confident at work because of AI. “With that in mind,” he adds, “leaders can encourage early tech adopter team members to tap into existing touchpoints—like regular team meetings—to lead by example, augmenting with AI in an effort to normalize and familiarize other team members with its benefits. By doing so, peers and leaders can demonstrate that AI is a tool and not a threat, which can help ease fears.”
4- Coach and role-model to inspire lifelong career development. Arora told me he believes that people innately desire a deep sense of purpose and connection in life, which is the ultimate motivator for humanity. “Learning serves as a pathway to fulfilling those needs, and in the context of digitization and employer-employee relationships, AI has the ability to accelerate this path and bring the power of learning to life in incredibly meaningful ways.”
He foresees a future where AI is leveraged to democratize learning—through personalization, flexibility, affordability and on-demand access—in which it empowers people, teams and organizations to truly revolutionize human potential, productivity and impact. “Encouraging and fostering a growth mindset versus fixed mindsets within teams, can help shift how employees approach any challenge,” he asserts, “including AI disruption and adoption in viewing change as an opportunity to learn, instead of a threat.”
So, is AI a tool or a threat? Perhaps it’s like asking if water is good or bad. Too much or too little can kill us. Maybe the way to consider AI is that it’s neither good nor bad, but in the final analysis, it’s how we use it to support employees and improve humanity that counts. AI might just become everyone’s virtual personal assistant, automating everything from onboarding to performance management, freeing up staff to focus on more strategic initiatives.
“When leaders coach one-on-one and role-model how they approach challenges and embrace ambiguity, this has a trickle-down effect on the performance of their teams for the long-term,” Arora concludes. “By being intentional in coaching team members, through frequent, clear and actionable feedback, leaders will build a trusting team culture and inspire adaptability—underscoring the most valuable soft skill of today—and further shift the mindset that AI is a tool, not a threat.”
