5 Steps to rethink your workflows around AI to succeed
Last year, at about this time, I predicted that at the end of Q2 2025 or the beginning of Q3, we’d see the beginnings of a moral panic about large organizations - corporations and governments - using generative and agentic AI to replace white collar workers.
I communicated this prediction to a lot of people - during the many sessions, talks and classes I offer in the Master of Communications Management program at McMaster University and elsewhere.
I made this prediction by doing a sophisticated content analysis of publicly available commentary by officials from governments and large publicly-traded corporations. The pattern was in the data, I just had to find the signal.
That was a year ago.
I seem to have been right, since we are hearing a lot about how AI is going to be used to cut costs in and improve the function and delivery of services by corporations and governments. I live in Canada and we have a Prime Minister who has made AI a pillar of his cost-cutting strategy.
So, you are probably thinking - “Hey, I work in a white-collar job for a big corporation or a government - what does this mean for me?” That’s a good question. The answer is that your job is likely safe for now, but you have to think ahead to future-proof yourself.
We have seen AI causing ripples in the technology industry, for example, IBM has replaced many HR workers using an application of its Watsonx AI system. There have been reports of many AI-related job losses across the tech sector.
So as a white-collar worker, what can you do to preserve your job?
Rethink how you work. Where can you speed yourself up without compromising quality or accuracy.
Replace the grind, not the creativity. Which tedious parts of your work can you automate, freeing yourself up to be more creative, strategic, and forward-thinking?
Practice using AI tech. Why not invest some time to try the free versions of systems that you hear about or someone recommends to you?
Learn the lingo. Which tech culture magazines do you see coming across your feed (e.g., Wired Magazine, MIT Tech Review, Harvard Business Review)? Can you set up a search for AI on your news engine of choice (e.g., Google News, Apple News, etc.)?
Examine your workflows. AI will replace the most robotic jobs. How can you take control by automating the most easily automated parts of your daily workflow before someone mandates you to do so?
These are some simple steps you can take to make yourself relevant and vial in the AI world.