Say Hello to the Personal Side of AI

Will AI take away my job?  Will it make me obsolete?  Axelerate’s employment experts say “maybe,” to the first question, but “absolutely not” to the second.

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, says AI “augments and assists humans.”  It’s  already working for you every day, on your smartphone and in your thermostat;  and every business must adapt rapidly -- both to customer demand and to operational agility -- by embracing the capabilities of Artificial  Intelligence. 

Like human learning, AI advances through three layers.  The bottom layer is simple pattern recognition.  The next layer is perception:  sensing more complex scenes.  At the top is cognition: a deep understanding of human language.  This level can seem a little like Hal, the potentially malevolent presence in 2001 Space Odyssey, but 19 years later, it is proving to be more like Baymax, the science project that turned out to be a teenager’s best friend and protector. (1)

Think of  Axelerate as the personal side of AI, an agency that offers three analogous levels of service:

• We have years of experience with the “simple pattern recognition” of exactly the right job description and statement  of work to match the right role with the right candidate.  We will write these for you if you would  like, to save your time and ensure the right fit.
• Our immersion in the market gives us the “perception”  to sense the nuances of things like the culture of your team and the  leadership style of your division, to find the applicants with the training,  background, and personality to ensure a quick, successful transition.
• ‍“Cognition” means more than understanding  the basics.  At Axelerate, it is much  broader.  After years of successful  placements, their genuine love for the business and passion for service underlies everything they do, every time.   This deep understanding is the result of many years of in-depth discussions with managers and consultants alike.

Martin Fleming, IBM’s Chief Economist, and vice-president writing for Harvard Business Review offers the following keys to “unlock your productivity potential while delivering on business objectives.” (2)

First, reallocate capital resources to rebalance and restructure occupations.  He points out that jobs don’t change quickly.  It might take decades to rethink a job or role.  But the tasks performed within those roles must change very quickly in an agile organization, and it’s the tasks that create value.

Second, invest in workforce training.  IBM’s Institute for Business Value studied this aspect of business excellence and found that AI will require retraining for millions of workers over the next three years. (3)

Axelerate can  partner with you on both initiatives.  Our experience and access, together with our focus on aligning skills and talents with the tasks you need your consultants to perform, will produce the results you need as you consider how AI can make your business  increasingly competitive.  You will find that training is key, and our experts can also provide candidates who  are experienced trainers in addition to their current operational  competence.  This is a relatively new  combination, and we can navigate the details for you quickly and easily.

Will AI take away your job or make you obsolete?  Our experience has been that it has created unheard of opportunities.  For the personal side of AI, contact amy.bray@axelerate.com or call 425.922.6800 to schedule time to discuss the resources you need to finish 2020 strong and plan for 2021.

To your success,

The Axelerate Team

Footnotes:  

1.  Satya Nadella, with Greg Shaw and Tracie Nichols, Hit Refresh  (New York: Harper Collins, 2017),  150 Nadella, op cit, 159
2.  https://hbr.org/2020/03/ai-is-changing-work-and-leaders-need-to-adapt
3.  https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/report/closing-skills-gap‍