The role of training in building AI future-ready workforce

By Alyssa Blackburn (pictured), Director, Information Management at AvePoint

Ever since the introduction of computers, there have been fears raised about ‘the robots taking over’ – whether it be making all of our jobs obsolete or overrunning governments. And yet, while there have been changes in how we work with the introduction of new technology, these fears have largely failed to eventuate.

Whilst it’s a fact some jobs will become automated (we can go back centuries to see where this has happened), new and advancing technology has opened new opportunities rather than resulted in a ‘robot state.’ This is no different for the latest technology everyone wants to talk about. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is creating new opportunities, new roles, and new ways to optimise existing practices. It’s creating new ways of working, not doing away with working altogether. A new study from the International Labour Organization (ILO) finds that generative AI is more likely to augment than destroy jobs by automating some tasks rather than taking over a role entirely.

This is when training becomes critical. Organisations need to be thinking about how to upskill their workforce to ensure they are making the most of their AI investments and newfound workforce efficiencies. The goal should be finding the right balance between human and artificial intelligence.

Why AI training is important

As organisations adopt AI at a rapid rate, the skills gap is growing and has led to significant delays in the deployment of AI technologies. Gartner research found 25% of organisations planned to deploy AI within the next 12 months every year from 2019 to 2024, yet the annual growth of production deployments was only 2% to 5%.

One reason for this is likely due to a lack of skills required to deploy and manage AI tools. AvePoint’s AI & Information Management 2024 report found only 46% of organisations offer AI-specific training. And yet, training needs to happen across every function – it’s not just IT teams that will be using AI. With the introduction of company-wide tools like Microsoft Copilot, everyone from the marketing team to finance and sales needs to be adequately trained on how to leverage AI tools in a secure, ethical way whilst making the most of the productivity gains it will bring.

Amongst AI ‘power users’, as defined by Microsoft as those using AI extensively, over 90% say AI makes their overwhelming workload more manageable and enjoyable, according to the 2024 Work Trend Index. Empowering staff to become ‘power users’ will bring a competitive edge over those lagging behind.

The fundamentals of AI training 

First up, organisations need to define what AI best practices and strategies make sense for them and what safe use and adoption look like. From there, it’s about tailoring deployment plans and training that match up with the business goals.

Understandably, it’s not wise to just hand over the keys to employees – this could put data at risk. Instead, you can create a vision for what an ‘augmented workforce’ looks like in your organisation.

The AI & Information Management 2024 report suggests a two-pronged approach:

• AI literacy: Employees need to be trained on how AI systems function, their capabilities, limitations and the foundations of secure and ethical usage. Practical scenario-based learning experiences will give employees a strong understanding of how AI integrates into their day-to-day roles and tasks, helping to drive adoption and maximising the orgnisation’s investment. It’s only by understanding the mechanics behind AI, that people can effectively interpret and apply the insights it generates.

• Information literacy: Employees should be trained on how to discern between accurate information and AI biases to help prevent inaccurate output from influencing tasks or decision-making processes.  If employees understand the principles of AI, they can better evaluate the quality of the output and ensure decisions are made based on data and contextual understanding.

It’s important to remember that as with most training, AI training is not set and forget. It requires consistent monitoring and assessment to understand how it’s being used, by whom, how long tasks are taking etc. By tracking usage trends, organisations can continue to improve their training by understanding patterns so they can then tailor training to address ongoing challenges.

It should be clear to most by now that AI will not replace people. However, our lives are already being significantly impacted by AI’s ability to augment our experiences  – whether that be how we play video games or how we get our work done. Just because many of us can now navigate our way around ChatGPT doesn’t mean organisations should expect employees to be AI literate. If organisations are going to make the most of their AI investments, they’ll need to invest in training employees in AI and information literacy in order to ensure its productive, safe and ethical use.