If you want to spend less time on repetitive work tasks, such as writing meeting notes or drafting internal memos and emails, you may want to try using generative artificial intelligence (AI). Generative AI is designed to create new content, like text and images, based on complex algorithms and models that learn patterns from vast amounts of data.
Almost half of employees (44%) report using AI to assist them at work, according to research firm Morning Consult.
You may already be using AI without realizing it since AI is integrated into many technology tools we employ. For example, if you’ve ever written an email and utilized a suggested word to complete your sentence, then you’ve used AI. However, if the suggested word isn’t suitable, you still rely on your human intelligence to finish the sentence your way.
Ever since AI was introduced to the wider populace via ChatGPT in November 2022, more employees have adopted the technology. Globally, 75% of knowledge workers are utilizing generative AI, as per a recent survey by Microsoft and LinkedIn.
How to use AI for productivity
As the use of AI in the workplace becomes more commonplace, concerns about employees falling behind for not using it are growing. “That employee who’s utilizing AI now [has an extra hour] in their day to focus on something a little more advanced,” says Clayton Durant, director of emerging media and platform strategy at MikeWorldWide, a full-service public relations agency in New York City. Durant compares the introduction of AI to when email and the internet started replacing fax machines. “The individuals who embraced the internet and started leveraging the tools and technology ultimately gained a slight advantage over those who didn’t,” he notes.
“One of the key questions that recruiters will ask job seekers in the next 18 months is [whether they have] used AI,” predicts LinkedIn career expert Andrew McCaskill. In fact, that same Microsoft and LinkedIn study found that 71% of business leaders “prefer to hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate lacking them.”
“Employees really need to realize [that] the future of work will involve AI,” adds McCaskill. “It’s [going to] be integrated into the majority of our tasks.” However, you don’t need to become an AI expert. You simply need to become more at ease using the technology.
5 ways to become comfortable using AI
Here are five small steps to take to become more comfortable using AI.
1. Take an online course
LinkedIn offers a series of online courses on AI, including What Is Generative AI? and How to Research and Write Using Generative AI Tools. These courses cater to all levels, “from individuals who are novices to those who are more proficient,” such as coders and engineers, according to McCaskill.
2. Inquire about your company’s AI policy
Before delving into using AI for work tasks, Durant suggests checking if your company has a policy regarding AI usage at work. Several companies have regulations concerning the tasks where AI can be employed. For instance, many companies permit employees to use AI for summarizing meeting notes or drafting initial reports, but most don’t allow workers to submit a report entirely written by AI without human editing. Furthermore, employees must avoid inputting any proprietary company data or specific client information, like names and revenue figures, into ChatGPT or other AI models.
3. Dip your toes into ChatGPT
McCaskill recommends signing up for a free ChatGPT account to start exploring the technology. For example, you can input a paragraph you’ve written into ChatGPT and have it condense the paragraph. You can also ask it to summarize an article or create a step-by-step task list for a complex project. Starting with a simple task will give you an idea of the technology’s capabilities and functions.
4. Utilize AI for a repetitive task
Identify repetitive tasks that consume time, like attending a meeting, transcribing notes, and compiling a meeting summary. Instead of transcribing the notes yourself, you could record the meeting and use Otter.AI to transcribe it, suggests Durant. Then, you can have ChatGPT organize the notes by topic. If most of your meetings take place on Zoom or Microsoft Teams, both platforms have built-in AI for recording, transcribing, and summarizing meetings.
Think about the tasks you dislike or that are time-consuming, consider how AI could aid you, and start experimenting with the technology, advises Dallas Crilley, a digital marketing strategist at Real News Public Relations in Dallas. For instance, you can use AI tools for “simple tasks that [you] have full control over… like having AI proofread something [you’ve] written,” brainstorming questions for a client about a project, or offering feedback on a presentation [you’ve] created,” Crilley suggests. Once you feel more at ease with AI, you can apply it to more advanced tasks, such as managing your schedule, sorting incoming emails, or automatically generating reports from data.
5. Learn from your colleagues how they use AI
If you notice a colleague using AI, ask them to demonstrate how they employ it and share which prompts and inputs are most valuable for their work, states Durant.
Remember the importance of recognizing which tasks can be accomplished with AI and which still require human oversight, adds Crilley. “People should always supervise its outputs and avoid using it for tasks necessitating human judgment, like conflict resolution or strategic decision-making.”
