Generative AI (GenAI) has transformed the conversation on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and has significant potential to disrupt the ways we connect, interact, live, and ultimately reshape the way we work.
A main driver of change, according to Deloitte’s research on Generative AI and the Future of Work1, is GenAI’s ability to create content that profoundly supports human expertise and skills—writing memos and reports, designing website graphics, creating personalized marketing strategies, and curating employee learning programs, for example. The examples of Generative AI use cases by industry2illustrate the sheer breadth of work that can be augmented using GenAI. Ideally, GenAI can bolster innovation, productivity, and outcomes while making work easier for people.
For business leaders, globally, the challenge is two-fold: understanding the possibilities and risks GenAI brings; and preparing for the inevitable organizational change that is headed their way.The future success of GenAI will hinge on a renewed focus on people.
Generative AI empowering the HR function – A local industry perspective
A team of practitioners from Deloitte in the Caribbean and Bermuda region recently attended the Cayman Islands Society for Human Resources Professionals’ (CISHRP) Annual Conference, which focused on "The Future of Work: Digitally-Enabled, Human Centered."
The Conference was inaugurated by the Hon. Sabrina Turner, Minister for Health & Wellness and Home Affairs, whose welcome remarks included a timely reminder of the core human aspects that we bring to our work within organizations; and the importance of connection and encouraging the growth of others. This introduction set the scene for a day full of engaging discussions about the significant capabilities of AI to support organizations, and the risks and potential pitfalls to navigate.
Pieta Brown, GenAI leader for Deloitte in the Caribbean and Bermuda region (CBC), participated in a panel discussion on "Leveraging Technology to Build Tomorrow’s Workforce." Moderated by Amrita Bhalla (A. B. Consulting HR), the panel including Savina Taylor (Cartan Group), Monique Malcolm (The Civil Service College) and Ravi Campbell (Dart) shared their experiences working with AI and their vision for the future. Key discussions point included the importance of investing in AI training for your people, the value of adopting a learning mindset on your AI journey, and the need to get started.
Photo by: Cayman Islands Society for Human Resources Professionals andKeevon at HD Digital Cayman.
Throughout the Conference, speakers covered a broad range of topics related to AI adoption including AI readiness, change management, technology requirements and risks. Minda Harts, celebrated author and speaker, spoke passionately about the potential for AI as an ally to enhance diversity in the workforce by helping to monitor and mitigate some aspects of human bias.
Specific use-cases discussed included the potential for GenAI to support with creating learning and development content, personalizing communications and materials to enhance employee engagement, generating draft job descriptions and policies, providing on-the-job coaching, preparing questions and scenarios for interviews and training, supporting performance management, and coming up with new ideas and creative insights.Many of these are low cost, and low risk, use-cases that are a sensible starting point for organizations to explore a GenAI pilot.
Our top three takeaways from the day were about:
- Embracing Change: Organizations must be open to integrating AI into their HR processes to stay competitive and relevant.
- Continuous Learning: HR professionals need to continuously update their skills and knowledge to effectively implement and manage AI technologies.
- Addressing Ethical Concerns: While AI offers numerous benefits, it is essential to address ethical concerns related to data privacy and bias in AI algorithms.
Photo by:Cayman Islands Society for Human Resources Professionals andKeevon at HD Digital Cayman.
The overall workforce impacts of GenAI
Deloitte’s recently released global survey results on the State of Generative AI in the Enterprise (Q2)3highlight the coming workforce impacts of GenAI. Three-quarters of survey respondents (75%) expect to change their talent strategies within two years in response to GenAI. Organizations reporting “very high” GenAI expertise expect to change their talent strategies even faster, with 32% already making changes. This is consistent with our broader finding that such organizations are scaling up their initiatives much more aggressively than are others, leading to greater and more immediate talent impacts.
In response to GenAI adoption, the most common changes to talent strategy among the overall respondent pool involve redesigning work processes (48%) and upskilling or reskilling (47%). Relative to the overall respondent pool, organizations with “very high” expertise were much more focused on developing AI fluency (47%) and redesigning career paths (38%), and much less focused on assessing changes to the anticipated supply and demand of skills (25%).
These survey results suggest a strong need for more attention paid to GenAI’s talent impacts. In the near term, AI education and fluency will be especially important to fostering adoption and overcoming initial resistance to change. In the longer term, upskilling or reskilling and redesigning work processes and career paths will likely be essential for capturing GenAI’s full value and positioning workers for future success.
What about Gen Zs and Millennials?
Many discussions about GenAI impacts examine differences in adoption rates and attitudes between different segments of the workforce. Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey4connected with nearly 23,000 respondents across 44 countries to track their experiences and expectations at work and in the world more broadly.
The Survey highlighted that Gen Zs and millennials are feeling uncertain about GenAI and its potential impact on their careers. However, respondents who frequently use GenAI at work are more likely to say they feel excitement about, and trust in the technology. Frequent users of GenAI are also more likely to believe it will free up their time, improve the way they work, and improve their work/life balance. But, conversely, the more a respondent uses GenAI the more likely they are to also have concerns, such as believing that GenAI-driven automation will eliminate jobs or make it harder for younger generations to enter the workforce. In response to these types of concerns, both generations are thinking about how to adapt, focusing on reskilling, or looking for job opportunities that are less vulnerable to automation. While many don’t believe their employers are adequately preparing them yet for the changes that GenAI will bring, more than a third of Gen Zs (38%) and millennials (36%) plan to participate in GenAI trainings within the next 12 months.
Navigating the path ahead
Looking to the immediate future, Deloitte’s 2024 HR Technology Trend Predictions5 outlines five focus areas to support HR leaders prepare for Gen AI’s impact:
- Capabilities and risks. Educate leadership and team members on the potential and risks of GenAI.
- Iterating from starter use cases.Experiment beyond small use cases by thinking about horizontal ones, especially in areas under-served by automation.
- Healthy skepticism. Continue to question each use and output of GenAI to comply with risk and governance considerations.
- Understanding industry impact. Evaluate the opportunities within industry to tap data sources for proprietary insight generation and process improvement.
- Current partners influence. Engage with existing HR technology stack providers to understand and inform their product development strategy and how their features will influence specific users.
While GenAI content is directed by Large Language Models (LLMs), it still takes intentional and focused human prompts and applications to derive value from the computational power. Familiarizing the workforce with current capabilities will help spark the questions that drive the innovations of tomorrow.
As Deloitte CBC’s Human Capital Partner and Talent Leader Jennifer Skinner observes, “We may not have realized that technology advancements including AI have been occurring all around us in our daily lives for some time. We still need our people. They will need to work differently with technology, and we will also need them to adapt, be resilient and embrace change to thrive. Organizations embracing these changes, investing in technology, and upskilling their people are helping to position themselves well for the future of work.”
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1 Deloitte AI Institute, Generative AI and the Future of Work, Deloitte, 2023.
2 Beena Ammanath, Francisco Barroso, and Sulabh Sorai, The Generative AI Dossier: A selection of high-impact use cases across six major industries, Deloitte AI Institute, 2023.
3 Deloitte AI Institute, Deloitte’s State of Generative AI in the Enterprise Quarter two report: Now decides next: Getting real about Generative AI, Deloitte, April 2024, p. 19 and 20.
4 Deloitte, 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey: Living and working with purpose in a transforming world, p. 3 and 4.
5 Franz Gilbert, Matthew Shannon and Erin Spencer, 2024 HR technology trend predictions, Deloitte, accessed 18 June 2024.
