Many companies are currently investing heavily in artificial intelligence while simultaneously cutting back on their employees and their training. An HR expert warns: This very strategy could fail in the long run.
What mistakes does the expert warn against? In a comment in the US economic magazine Fortune, expert Wendi Safstrom recently warned against disastrous misinvestments in the AI sector. Wendi Safstrom is the president of the SHRM Foundation – one of the largest organizations for human resource development worldwide.
The SHRM Foundation is part of the Society for Human Resource Management, which represents millions of HR professionals globally. Safstrom deals daily with the question of how work is changing through technology and what role humans play in it.
Specifically, Safstrom addresses in the comment the imbalance between pure investments in AI tools and the skills of employees in companies.
What’s happening in companies right now? Many companies are currently investing billions in AI to become more efficient and reduce costs. At the same time, however, a critical area is being cut: training, education, and employee development (Wall Street Journal).
According to the numbers mentioned in the Fortune comment, around three-quarters of all so-called Knowledge Workers
are already using AI in their jobs. However, about 60 percent have not received any formal training for this (Work Trend Index).
Knowledge Worker
, known in German as Wissensarbeiter, are professionals who create added value for the company through their expertise, critical thinking, and social skills. The focus is often on analysis and problem-solving activities (via IBM & Jacobin).
Artificial intelligence will shape the future of work. Humans will drive it forward. The companies that will prevail are those that do not view investments in the workforce as an item to be cut but as part of their strategy.
Wendi Safstrom, Fortune
While AI spending is rising sharply, according to Safstrom, training budgets are growing only minimally. In some cases, even the average learning time per employee is decreasing.
The Main Thing is AI
Why does the expert see a significant risk in this? Safstrom warns that this strategy might work in the short term but will have clear disadvantages in the long run.
Because AI only brings real productivity gains when employees can use it correctly. Research shows that tasks are completed 25% faster and with 40% higher quality, productivity increases by 60%, and up to 36% more time remains for more challenging tasks (The Harvard Crimson).
However, these improvements will only occur in the long term if employees are appropriately trained in handling AI, according to the expert.
Additionally, there is an economic factor: According to data referenced in the comment, unmotivated and stressed employees cost the global economy about $9 trillion every year (Gallup).
Looking at this, it quickly becomes clear: In the age of AI, it’s not just technology that decides but mainly who ultimately uses it sensibly. Which jobs are really under pressure and which are not is not always clear: An expert reveals what the biggest risk is for your job in the age of AI
