Prevent mental injury: Make sure your employees aren’t carrying a load that is too heavy
Like the body, the mind has limitations that vary with the individual. One employee may carry a 100-kg backpack a considerable distance while...
3 min read
Dr. Bill Howatt : July 25, 2024
In his latest shareholders meeting, Warren Buffet made a profound statement that AI is out of the box and there is no stopping it. Good or bad, it is here. He related it to the atomic bomb’s massive impact on the planet.
Ernst & Young’s AI Anxiety in Business Survey found that 48% of employees are concerned about AI, and 41% think it is moving too fast. More than 70% are concerned AI will impact their compensation, 67% feel they could lose out on promotion because of a lack of AI knowledge, and 66% worry that if they do not us AI at work, they will fall behind.
The American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work America Study found that nearly 40% of workers worry that AI will take some or all of their jobs, making them obsolete.
These fears are not unfounded. The World Economic Forum estimated that AI will replace 85 million jobs by 2025, so it’s natural that the rapid rise of AI is causing considerable stress in the workplace.
Mitigate the impact of AI as a psychosocial risk factor
In previous posts, I’ve discussed managing psychosocial factors that can drain employees. As leaders, we must recognize that the drain of AI will only grow.
When a psychosocial risk factor is perceived as draining, based on its frequency, duration, and intensity, it can lead to fatigue, accidents, isolation, stress, and burnout. Employees experiencing psychosocial hazards are at increased risk of mental harm, injuries, and illness.
One way to mitigate the risk of AI-induced stress in your workplace use focus groups and surveys to assess employeees’ experiences and concerns.
In addition, you may consider the following steps to help workers navigate the approaching AI wave and proactively manage its impact to protect employees’ health, performance, and retention.
This Forbes article, highlights that AI may replace some workers and create new jobs like machine learning engineers, health data analysts, agro technologists, data scientists, and specialized researchers. However, it also reinforces that core human skills like empathy, problem-solving, leadership, and creativity are soft skills that will always be critical to business success.
As Buffett says, there is no turning back. People may resist, but the future of work will require constant upskilling and adapting. You can help your employees embrace this evolution by regularly taking stock of the impact AI is having in your workplace, putting plans and policies in place to maximize the synergy between humans and technology, and training and communicating to help ease the stress and drain on them in this new normal.
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