Date: May 31, 2023
Author: Bob Royce
Reading Time: 3 min 42 sec

Are we considering the Ethical Implications of Integration?

There has been a lot of attention paid to the ethical application of AI technologies in society, and rightly so. Machines can only judge based on the way they’ve been trained, and there are too many examples where this has been done poorly to ignore. Guidelines, even regulatory laws, are an immediate necessity, and every company harnessing AI must vigilantly plan to protect against abusive applications of this powerful technology.

Far less attention has been paid to the ethical implications of the integration of AI into our work. Powerful AI agents will play an increasingly important role in how we do work, and there are profound ethical implications to how this integration will affect how we do work and company cultures in general.

What Questions Should We Be Asking Ourselves?

For example, a recent Wall Street Journal article, How AI Will Change The Workplace, points to ways this is likely to play out. Here are some examples from the article, followed by questions we should be asking ourselves.

Michael Chui from the McKinsey Global Institute notes how the process automation that grew over the past decade will expand to “Automating Ideas,” allowing knowledge workers to spend more time refining and editing and less time writing. Software development, marketing and sales communications, and contact centers all stand to benefit from this.

Q: Will this power be used to reduce headcount or expand service capabilities? Balancing this tension has important ethical implications.

The ability to automate work will lead to flatter organizations, calling into question the traditional hierarchy of entry-level workers doing routine administrative tasks, supervised by middle managers, and under the direction of senior leaders. As Darrell West of the Brookings Institution notes, AI will reduce the effort needed to do routine tasks, but NOT the need to train entry-level people about how the business operates so they can work effectively at higher levels.

Q: Significant cultural and process change will happen as companies realign to both take advantage of these new technologies and help employees reach their full potential.

Machines are now being used not only to gauge customer sentiments but to measure the empathy exhibited by employees in contact centers. But as Sherry Turkle at MIT notes: “It is backward thinking: Technology redefines human empathy as what machines can understand. Having built the machines that will judge us, now we will train ourselves to please the machines.”

Q: How can companies leverage these capabilities without dehumanizing their workforce?

Jonathan Gratch, USC, notes how machines pose a direct threat to ethics: studies have shown that people are “more likely to instruct an AI assistant to use deception and emotional manipulation to extract unfair deals when negotiating on their behalf” than when dealing with people where they are more likely to feel guilty taking advantage of people.

Q: How do we guard against this erosion of cultural norms and ensure machines help us become our best selves?

Have We Paid Attention to the Lessons Learned from Social Media?

These questions highlight the importance of considering AI’s effect on our teams and culture as we integrate these intelligent agents into our work. We’ve seen the risks of paying too little attention to these kinds of issues as they have played out in the world of social media. As AI adoption accelerates, are you giving enough attention to the possible ramifications on your team?

How Do We Harness the Potential of AI?

To help get you started, here are some general considerations we’ve found helpful in bringing clarity to the complexity our clients have faced over the past years:

1. Gain clarity about who you want to be. Digital communication has already amplified the importance of a consistent brand, and you know you need to invest in your culture so that employees represent you “on brand.” AI will serve as a magnifying glass for your brand, and how you choose to deploy it will significantly influence the effect of your reach. Taking the time now to align your team on how you want to do this will set you up for success.

2. Understand how AI technology will affect your business. There is a tremendous amount of hype, both positive and negative, around AI. Cut through the fog of hyperbole by taking the time to understand how and why AI does what it does. Then craft a realistic plan to harness the technology to improve your processes and empower your people while accounting for the dangers and risks.

3. Develop capabilities to leverage these new AI tools in a healthy and empowering way. With clear alignment on how you want to integrate AI and a clear picture of where you can apply AI, you can start to develop the new muscles your organization needs to leverage the power. The majority of costs associated with leveraging AI involve preparing the soil, so to speak, by getting your world of data and information in order. GIGO, garbage-in-garbage-out has never been more true!

What’s Next?

One thing seems certain: AI capabilities will continue to evolve rapidly, requiring an increasing share of your attention. At TUG, we look forward to helping people navigate their way through this new era.

Are you interested in the ethics of AI and how you can navigate this quickly emerging field? Watch the recording of our webinar from June 16, 2023 for a thoughtful discussion on how best to move forward with adopting AI technology in your organization.