Since the release of GPT-4 last year, AI has become a source of contention. A YouGov poll revealed that 64% of surveyed Britons believe we’ll lose more jobs to artificial intelligence than it can create. Generative AI, such as GPT-4, has caused mass hysteria and mistrust.
In particular, many people are wary of AI-powered automation in their workplace. Its introduction can create distrust and anxiety unless the transition is handled responsibly.
This article uses our clients' experiences and insights to explore the best change management practices for introducing AI-based solutions into the workplace.
AI may seem like an all-encompassing technology with unlimited capabilities. In reality, however, AI-based software often has very specific applications. Consequently, defining the exact role of AI technology from the outset will manage everyone’s expectations of it.
For example, by announcing to your employees or peers we will explore AI-based data extraction tools for financial statements, you’ll clearly introduce the project's objectives.
Being upfront about your expectations is vital to starting the process with your AI vendor. During your initial meetings, it would be helpful to discuss the results you’d like to see with the software — an increase in productivity, a reduction in costs, and the length of time necessary to implement the AI technology.
AI technology is efficient and rewarding, but it can’t replace the roles of qualified employees. Nor can you implement it successfully without buy-in from stakeholders. The more preliminary l research you can do about AI automation technology, the smoother the initial stages of the project will go.
Scepticism is another common reaction to introducing AI in the workplace. Many believe that AI is an inadequate substitute for human expertise. Or that it’s likely more of a hassle than it’s worth. Seeing is believing, though. A successful demo can prove the AI technology’s value in the workplace.
An integral part of DF Capital’s success with our data extraction technology was the proof of concept‒where it predicted data points with a 100% confidence threshold. The demonstrated software’s efficiency allowed for effective communication with stakeholders, making the implementation process smooth.
Generally, vendors will offer a live demonstration of their AI technology, which you can apply to your company’s documents. Please see our IDP Buyer's Guide for more information about the demo process.
Using real data can act as an indicator of the success of the change management process. Adam Crockford, Senior Project Manager of Automation at Novuna Business Finance, tells us about his company’s experience:
“It was about that early engagement and just being clear on what we were looking to do as part of the proof of concept, and having those regular checking points to say if we were going to go beyond that, we would continue to engage.”
With AI-based data capture articulating the value of extracted, normalised data, it will encourage buy-in from stakeholders. Reconciling the value of data to the organisation’s objectives is crucial in guiding the relationship between your company’s technology and your business goals.
AI technology can remove monotonous, repetitive tasks, such as extracting data from financial documents, cross-checking data points, normalising and translating data and more. Employees may dislike manually performing these tasks and welcome their elimination. Jessica O’Hare, Head of Product at YouLend, tells us why:
“Because they’re [employees] really bought into doing this [AI automation] because they don’t want to do this part of their job — they want to do all the more interesting parts… They don’t want to be sitting there extracting information from a bank statement.”
What can cutting-edge AI technology offer today’s employees? According to Nobel-award-winning economist Sir Christopher Pissarides, AI automation can potentially increase leisure time, including the four-day working week.
Emphasising its potential for creativity and freedom will go a long way in shifting people’s attitudes towards AI.
Throughout the implementation process, it’s important to run continuous feedback loops between stakeholders. From those who will train and integrate the model with the company’s IT architecture to the employees who regularly use it, maintaining open communication channels will provide short and long-term benefits.
The main benefits of constant feedback are twofold. Firstly, it will inspire positive attitudes towards the technology. Additionally, feedback is important for maintaining the AI model’s optimal performance.
Evolution AI offers an award-winning data extraction solution. Our technology removes the tedium and the expense of traditional manual extraction. Our clients note that “We now have people queuing up to use the solution” and “It’s given hours back to the operational team”.
To discuss your business’s use case with one of our experts, book a demo or email us at hello@evolution.ai. We look forward to hearing from you.
