Human Intelligence in an AI World
AI Is Here—Now What?
We’re no longer asking if AI will change our jobs—we’re asking how deeply and how soon. What does this mean for us in the work place? What should we expect in the coming years? How can we stay competitive in the evolving world?
I've wanted to write about this topic for a long time. After attending a recent webinar on how CFOs should plan for the next year, I finally got the motivation to do so as "AI" was the hot topic of discussion.
Humans at the Core of Innovation
We have heard and read on several avenues that machines will take over all jobs in the future. That’s not quite true—or at least, not entirely. While AI possesses the capability to simulate human learning, comprehension, decision-making, and problem-solving, it can only do what it has been asked to do without putting much thought into things that we don’t ask or don’t know that we need to ask.
If not used carefully, it is a slippery slope to say the least. While AI may be capable of taking over a lot of human tasks, it cannot replace humans altogether. Well, a perfect example is, who will fix that bug in AI code if the system does not work? Who will develop, test and implement the AI? Of course, humans.
Data, Discovery, and the Analyst’s Edge
As a finance enthusiast, I deal with a large amount of data everyday and I love every bit of it. I perform tasks such as data cleansing, generating reports and dashboards and analytics - all of which are in the process of being taken over by AI. I have automated a lot of these tasks myself, but guess what, it took me—a human to develop it.
Suppose I use the new AI tools to create a dashboard - but wait! Here’s the thing, if I don’t feed data to the AI tools or tell it what to do, will it be able to do it by itself? AI can tell you several things, help you analyze in different ways that perhaps I may not have thought about but only to the extent that it has been programmed to do so. As an analyst I often wander in uncharted waters, meaning I often stumble upon something I was not looking for but discovered during analysis. Now how could I have asked specific questions when I was not looking for that issue but happened to stumble upon.
What AI Can’t Decide
Even though AI can create reports and dashboards, and provide analysis based on our needs, will it be able to make decisions for the company? Decision making is a very critical and complex process which involves a multitude of internal and external factors, including factors beyond our control, such as an unexpected price rise by our vendor or expansion of competitor product line to include the product identical to our main product. Decision-making under such situations often require us to consider all those factors combined and this cannot be replaced by AI no matter how good the tool is.
One of the best examples that comes to mind is the frustration when we call customer service and we are talking to the computer instead of a human. I can’t remember how many times I have repeated “representative” on such a call just to reach a human who can help solve my problem.
Generational Readiness
I think Gen X, millennials and early Zoomers are in the best position to understand and develop with the new milestone in technology. I am a millennial myself and have gone through several technological milestones—from development and evolution of cell phone industry to replacement of desktops by laptops and tablets. Now I am witnessing the evolution of AI first hand. As a millennial I bring critical thinking, adaptability, and tech fluency to the changing technological landscape which has positioned me to succeed in the AI evolution.
Leading with Questions, Not Just Tools
So how do we prepare ourselves for this transformation that will entirely change what we do and how we do? We have software today to take over the monotonous tasks of data cleansing, formatting, generating reports and dashboards and it is growing at a rather rapid pace. This transformation will change the skill set we need to be successful. I rely heavily on excel currently and some other automation tools such as Alteryx, Power BI, etc. But now, for me to be successful, I will need to take this a step further and learn how to use the AI tools to interpret the data, tell a story that allows us to make decisions in real time.
Learning automation tools is a key foundation for me. When I combine them with my strength in providing real-time insights, I can support fast, informed decision-making—which gives me a real edge in my field.
I always think a step ahead to make sure I position myself to be proactive to the changes instead of being reactive if I want to succeed and build my dream career. Having experienced these transformations firsthand, I know that thriving in an AI-powered world won’t just depend on the tools we master—it’ll depend on the questions we dare to ask, and the human wisdom we bring to the answers.
