Search Results for: technology

Dear [employee]…Great job!  Why AI may not give you the warm and fuzzies

Dear [employee]…Great job!  Why AI may not give you the warm and fuzzies

by • AI, Comment, SF, Workplace

Gratitude is one of the most underutilised yet most appreciated rewards within the workplace. So why get an AI to say thanks for you?I recently completed an ‘Artificial Intelligence Essentials’ course, designed to introduce me to the world of AI tools and help me become more productive and efficient in my work. As someone who is borderline-obsessed with AI and undertaking every AI course going, I couldn’t sign up quickly enough. Also, I confess, I am a total sucker for all things ‘perfect planner’, be that journal or software; any talk of productivity tools and I’m in. (more…)

GenAI is already driving down demand for freelancers

GenAI is already driving down demand for freelancers

by • News

New research from Imperial College, Harvard and the German Institute for Economic Research looks at the impact of GenAI technologies on the demand for freelance creative professionals The demand for freelancers working in writing, and coding related jobs has dropped by 21 percent since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, according to new research by Imperial College Business School, Harvard Business School and the German Institute for Economic Research. This research paper, Who is AI Replacing? The Impact of Generative AI on Online Freelancing Platforms, looks at the impact of GenAI technologies on the demand for creative professionals who work on an hourly basis for different clients. (more…)

What is the role of a change manager?

What is the role of a change manager?

by • Comment, JB

There seems to be a constant debate as to when a change manager should join a project based on the perceptions of what a change manager does. Many change managers feel they are brought onto a change programme only once the programme/project team realise they need to start communicating to the business about the change. The fact of the matter is that although communication is a key element of generating change, it is not the sole element or what enables change to happen. You can literally have thousands of communications of all different kinds from emails, posters, videos and townhalls, to name a few, but none of this will mean that change will actually occur. (more…)

A brief history of the future of work

A brief history of the future of work

by • Features, Flexible working, Technology, Working culture

The future of work has always existed but never arrives. It is best seen as a way of thinking about current and emerging issues The past few years and our current predicaments should serves as a reminder of that tragic, unchangeable feature of the human condition, best expressed by Kierkegaard, that we are doomed to live our lives forwards but only understand them backwards. Retrospect is particularly important when we look back on sudden, large changes that knock us off our normal path. It’s important to remember this as we continue to grapple with the nature of the present and future of work in the wake of the pandemic. (more…)

People must take the lead on hybrid working to drive highest returns

People must take the lead on hybrid working to drive highest returns

by • Flexible working, News, Technology

A new report from workplace technology provider Eptura suggests that employee-led hybrid working models and connected technology drive the highest returns for businessesA new report from workplace technology provider Eptura suggests that employee-led hybrid working models and connected technology drive the highest returns for businesses. According to its first half 2024 Workplace Index report [registration], companies with hybrid working models in which employees can choose when to come to the office are seeing the most benefit. This is because employees who work effectively in the office can generate an average revenue increase of 3-8 percent. The study also claims that globally, employees are now spending an average of 3 days a week in the office, with the biggest increase being seen in the Asia-Pacific region. The most common days for office attendance remain Tuesday through Thursday. (more…)

MIT professor pours cold water on the prevailing hype about AI and the economy

MIT professor pours cold water on the prevailing hype about AI and the economy

by • AI, News, Technology

A study by MIT economist Daron Acemoglu appears to challenge the prevailing optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and its economic impactA study by MIT economist Daron Acemoglu appears to challenge the prevailing optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and its economic impact. While many experts predict a future fuelled by AI-driven productivity booms and reduced inequality, Acemoglu’s research paints a more cautious picture. His findings suggest that AI’s impact on productivity and inequality may be far less dramatic than anticipated, and could even exacerbate the gap between the rich and the poor. (more…)

Not luddite dinosaurs but the sensible voice of caution on AI. And you need to listen

Not luddite dinosaurs but the sensible voice of caution on AI. And you need to listen

by • AI, Comment, SF, Technology

In my line of work, it is easy to get away with not being au fait with technology. Having previously laughed off my ineptitude saying ‘there’s a reason I work with people not machines!’ I never considered I had a place in the realm of all things IT and computers. Until I discovered AI. More specifically, Deep Neural Networks. With a specialism in Neuropsychology, I was intrigued by a discipline that aimed to recreate that which we barely understand; the human brain. One of my favourite (and most frustrating) realisations when I began studying more than twenty years ago, was that I could dedicate myself to learning about the human brain 24/7 for the rest of my life… and still barely scratch the surface. Yet here was an AI community telling me they could recreate it. I was beyond intrigued and so began my unexpected delve into the world of all things machine learning and I haven’t looked back. (more…)

Electric arc furnaces could turn old concrete into zero-carbon cement

Electric arc furnaces could turn old concrete into zero-carbon cement

by • Architecture, Environment, Facilities management, News

commercial propertyConcrete and steel production are major contributors to global CO2 emissions, but a new technology from Cambridge University offers a promising solution: recycling both materials simultaneously. This innovative process involves using old concrete in steel-processing furnaces to not only purify iron but also generate “reactivated cement” as a by-product. When powered by renewable energy sources, this method has the potential to produce entirely carbon-neutral cement, according to the research published in the journal Nature.

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Generative AI could help UK workers save 19 million hours a week by 2026

Generative AI could help UK workers save 19 million hours a week by 2026

by • AI, News, Technology

New research from Pearson claims to show the potential of Generative AI to boost workplace productivity by helping UK workers to save '19 million hours a week'New research from Pearson claims to show the potential of Generative AI to boost workplace productivity by helping UK workers to save ’19 million hours a week’ on routine and repetitive tasks. (more…)

Some questions about AI, a world drowning in content and the human centipede of creativity

Some questions about AI, a world drowning in content and the human centipede of creativity

by • AI, Comment, Technology

 

We still don't even know what questions to ask about AI, so the idea we can provide answers is a bit premature

One unintended but welcome result of the new fixation with AI is that many of the people who became experts on the workplace in 2020 are now experts on AI. You’ll find them on social media and they’ll have written a book about it by May to sit on the shelf alongside the one about hybrid working and The Great Resignation. So, if you want some certainty about where generative AI taking us, go talk to one of them because people who know about the subject seem to have little or no idea or raise even more questions. (more…)

International report calls for collaboration on AI, highlighting both benefits and risks

International report calls for collaboration on AI, highlighting both benefits and risks

by • AI, News, Technology

A landmark report claims to shed light on the double-edged sword of advanced artificial intelligence (AI)A landmark report claims to shed light on the double-edged sword of advanced artificial intelligence. Backed by over 30 nations, the International Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AI paints a picture of a technology brimming with potential benefits, but also fraught with potential risks if safety isn’t prioritized. This first iteration of the report, launched at the AI Safety Summit, fulfils a key commitment set forth during the historic Bletchley Park discussions and the subsequent Bletchley Declaration. (more…)

Third of businesses investing in GenAI, but employees increasingly concerned about redundancy

Third of businesses investing in GenAI, but employees increasingly concerned about redundancy

by • AI, News, Technology, Workplace

UK firms are bullish about the use of GenAI but their employees are not so certain, according to a new pollOver a third of UK employers are bullish about AI investment despite serious workforce uncertainty. New research shows that 35.3 percent of employers are actively investing in GenAI while 40.4 percent plan to increase their use of the technology, to support the workplace, according to a new poll from SD Worx. The findings suggest there is a surprisingly buoyant business outlook for AI adoption at a time when the UK government begins to craft new legislation to regulate AI. The move on regulation comes as the competition watchdog expresses increased concerns about the industry. However, despite businesses betting big on AI investment, similar enthusiasm isn’t shared by employees, with 30 percent of UK workers fearing their roles will be made redundant as a result of GenAi. (more…)

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