Written by Janki Devalia, Senior Consultant
Artificial Intelligence (AI) are two little words that are changing the world as we know it. Regardless of your view, interest, or knowledge of AI, it is undeniable that the recent launch of ChatGPT has caused a seismic shift in the trajectory of society. While some are embracing this shift, others are finding it unnerving and are wary of the consequences of having the equivalent of an all-knowing person at their fingertips.
Should we be scared? Or is this helping us get one step further to unlocking our full human potential?
Before we can answer this, we need to know what we’re dealing with. What is this new AI that has caused even Google to issue a ‘Code Red?’ And what better way to find out than to ask it itself? I asked the platform “What is ChatGPT?” and here’s how it describes itself:
“I am ChatGPT, a large language model developed by OpenAI. I have been trained on a massive amount of text data using deep learning algorithms, which enables me to understand and generate human-like language. I can answer questions, provide information, and engage in conversations on a wide range of topics. My goal is to assist and support people in their queries and provide helpful responses.”
The platform uses its data to generate original responses to questions. Throughout a conversation it remembers what was previously asked, allowing you to tweak and improve its response until you’re satisfied. But as highlighted by OpenAI, sometimes the responses may provide plausible sounding but incorrect answers, suggesting that there is still a need for humans to fact-check what the AI is producing. So, maybe AI isn’t capable of doing everything humans can, but it certainly has the capability to relieve us from, or even inspire us in our everyday tasks. This raises the question of how we co-exist with AI technologies and what skills humans need to be able to take full advantage of this technological advancement.
There is no doubt the world is changing, and with it, the critical skills required for work are also changing. Research shows that in the next five years, more than one third of the skills believed to be essential for today’s workforce will have changed. Most recent articles, research findings, and ChatGPT (of course) responses agree on what these should be, some are outlined below:
- Digital and data literacy – This will be essential to navigate life in the digital world and be able to take advantage of the rapid advancements taking place around us. With these advancements comes data – and lots of it. We need to be able to interpret this data, question it where necessary, and use it to make better decisions. We then need to be able to use this literacy and communicate data-driven insights to those around us.
- Critical thinking – As we’ve seen, AI doesn’t have all of the answers and can sometimes even assertively give us the wrong answers. As humans, we need to be able to question what is presented to us, ensuring we analyze information based on evidence, not plausible sounding but incorrect facts that could be riddled with biases. Critical thinking also allows for innovation; inventing new ideas is not something AI can do yet either – as by principle it relies on existing knowledge.
- Emotional intelligence (EI) – EI allows individuals to better understand and manage their own and others’ emotions. While ChatGPT responds to emotive language, it does not have emotional knowledge . AI generally cannot yet understand the nuances of human emotion or connect with others on an emotional level. This is one area where machines can definitely not compete and that is essential for collaboration, leadership, problem solving, and many other workplace requirements. Check out Talogy’s EIP3 model to learn more about this critical skill.
- Flexibility – We can just look at the last five years to see how rapidly the world around us can change. Humans require both cognitive flexibility and the capability to adapt to changing expectations and skillsets to thrive at work. The ability to see change as an opportunity and be able to adapt will help individuals remain competitive and advance in their industries.
The above list of skills is not exhaustive, and no doubt will look different in a matter of a few years, if not months. However, to be successful we need to be prepared to work with this new technology and not against it. Generative AI technologies, such as ChatGPT, are opening the door to allow humans to develop and refine more ‘human’ skills, while providing efficiencies through automating some tasks. To learn more about how to assess and recruit for these critical work skills get in touch with us here at Talogy – we’d love to help!
Personally, I’m cautiously optimistic about using technologies such as ChatGPT – and who knows, in five years maybe we’ll be training the AI to be more objective and do more for us! Regardless, it’s here to stay and we need to learn how to embrace our new ‘co-worker.’
Sources:
Goulart, V. G., Liboni, L. B., & Cezarino, L. O. (2022). Balancing skills in the digital transformation era: The future of jobs and the role of higher education. Industry and Higher Education, 36(2), 118-127.
Stephanie, L (2022, July 20). Future skills you’ll need in your career by 2030. Retrieved from: https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/careers-advice/future-skills-youll-need-your-career-2030
CIMA (2022, September 23). The 10 vital skills you will need for the future of work. Retrieved from: https://myfuture.cimaglobal.com/career-insights/the-10-vital-skills-you-will-need-for-the- future-of-work/
Marr, B (2022, August 22). The Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills For The Next 10 Years. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2022/08/22/the-top-10-most-in-demand-skills- for-the-next-10-years/?sh=7bec721417be
Brooks, M (2023, January 26). What Is ChatGPT? Is It the Beginning of the End?. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-happy-life/202301/what-is-chatgpt-is-it- the-beginning-of-the-end
