Building AI Agility: A Strategic Guide for the Modern Professional
If you feel overwhelmed with all what you are reading and hearing about upskilling, don’t worry. You are not alone. Most organizations are trying to figure that out.
I am so over this craze now
It is easy to believe that the whole world is excited about using Gen AI in their work. Sixteen percent of the people are already sick of the hype about GenAI. They are so over it. Most people are not using Generative AI in their work. More than half the people polled use it less than 15 minutes a day. Only 11% of the respondents use it for more than four hours per day. The last group are the power users of this technology.
Poll statistics as of Sat June 8-2024
Criminals are already using AI
They say that the adult films industry and criminals are the earliest adopters of any technology. AI has been adopted really quickly by the criminals. They use it for phishing (impersonating someone on email to get you to share your password etc); or doxxing (find ways to reveal your location etc to the world at large and compromise your safety). There are groups that offering Doxxing as a Service.
Read more https://bit.ly/3KBkHio
Use Case 1: AI usage by job applicants
Frequent layoffs are increasing the pool for qualified talent. So supply of most skills exceeds demand. The employers are flooded with resumes. The same job posting gets thousands of options that make it hard to differentiate the candidate.
Candidates are using AI from writing resumes to filling applications on job sites. Sonara is the "first-ever AI-powered job search automation platform that finds and applies to relevant job openings until you're hired." For $80 a month, the AI tool finds jobs, answers questions as though they were the candidate and applies to as many as 370 positions for them each month. EarnBetter utilizes AI to provide free support to job seekers. The company’s free AI job search assistant reformats and rewrites people’s resumes in minutes, finds personalized job matches, and drafts cover letters tailored to specific opportunities. Jobsolv offers a 1-click auto-apply feature, simplifying the job application process significantly.
Use Case 2: AI usage by employers
Candidates are using AI to write resumes, apply en masse to jobs, get coached for interviews and even negotiate salary and benefits.
The websites have to constantly figure out smart ways to filter out robots filling out forms
How does the employer spot that diamond hidden in the haystack of AI generated resumes? They use clever tactics. Like this company sneaks in a question and tells the human not to answer it. That is a powerful way to filter the application pool and narrow it down.
The bot answers the question about the five different software development methodologies, the human reading the question knows that this question has to be skipped.
How to Improve Your Job Search
I spoke to Raghunath Ramaswamy who has had many years of experience in sourcing talent. He says that the job market is getting “Tinderized”. Employers and Candidates are both impatient. In a marketplace where talent and opportunities are constantly finding ways to make it more efficient, the candidates use AI to maximize their chances of getting an interview call. The employers use it to find the candidate who will do the job, fit the culture and hopefully will grow in the organization. It operates like the popular dating apps. Job search is like finding a partner on Tinder
1) Recruiter’s use the keywords in Job Description to search for relevant profiles
2) Traffic to a LinkedIn profile indeed follows principles similar to search engine optimization (SEO). Your LinkedIn profile should include relevant keywords that recruiters might use to find candidates with your skills
3) LinkedIn, supports three degrees of separation. There are Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 connections. A LinkedIn user cannot transact business or access people outside his or her network. Similarly people outside the user’s network cannot transact or access the LinkedIn profile of the user.
If Demand > Supply
In case of hiring AI talent, the game is different. The people with AI skills (for instance), the hiring process is a "white glove treatment". The employers fall over each other to woo the top AI talent.
Having a skill shortage means AI Talent is at a premium
How to build AI Agility
AI Jobs Barometer by PwC
As my colleague Todd McLees says, "AI Literacy is a starting point." #aiagility goes beyond that. There six elements of AI Agility - three can be done by the individual as they bring this to their role for example.
Human AI Partnerships: Build a relationship of trust as you collaborate with tools. Onboard them as you would onboard a new colleague. The better the onboarding the faster AI can start adding value'
AI Literacy and Prompt Design: This is quickly becoming a commonplace skill. Write prompts help you move from transactional usage of AI to a more strategic usage. Explain to AI the role you want them to play - eg a researcher, someone who thinks of alternatives; brainstorms on second order shifts etc.
Create intrinsic value with Gen AI: The ultimate goal of AI agility is to use AI tools strategically. Only when you understand and trust the technology can you begin to incorporate it into decision-making processes and long-term planning. AI can help identify trends, predict outcomes, and provide a data-driven foundation for strategy development.
Responsible AI: Making sure AI is ethical, safe transparent and explainable
Navigating the skills based economy: Understanding and adapting to the evolving landscape of work, workers and workplaces. In my book Career 3.0 I talk about this in great detail.
Cultivating Human Skills: Developing AI agility is a human skill. It helps us to complement our creativity, ability to learn and solve higher order problems.
How to build AI Agility
The biggest mistake so many CLOs and L&D teams make is that they take the play and fun out of learning. I see the same thing happening with all the skilling needed about AI.
In my work with organizations on Upskilling, it takes the longest time to build Phase 1. Leaders are obsessed with showing gains. That is counter productive
Three Phases of Upskilling
Phase 1: Play - Get comfortable with AI
Start by engaging with AI in fun and simple ways, such as playing games like tic-tac-toe or generating creative content. This helps you understand the basics without any pressure. For instance, ask ChatGPT to write a short story or solve a riddle for you. The goal is to make AI a friendly and approachable tool.
I used the AI powered Udio to write four lines of lyrics and create a song.
Check out my track from Udio: https://www.udio.com/songs/1T5iEtbEyxnQiUmf9EVekH
Phase 2: Productivity - Use AI to become more productive
Once you're comfortable, integrate AI into your daily tasks. Use it to draft emails, summarize articles, or generate ideas for your projects. For example, ask AI to create a to-do list or draft a report outline. This phase focuses on making your routine tasks easier and more efficient, allowing you to focus on more important activities.
This is when you can use AI to grow your network. Meg Bear and I had a great conversation last week - here is a small sampler.
Phase 3: Transformation - Use AI to build a competitive advantage
Leverage AI for strategic tasks that provide significant value. This could involve using AI to analyze data trends, personalize marketing strategies, or innovate new solutions. For instance, use AI to develop a predictive model for customer behavior or create a personalized learning plan. This phase transforms AI from a helpful tool into a strategic partner that enhances your capabilities and drives competitive advantage.
