The future is now: Employers aim to get people and AI to work together

The buzz about artificial intelligence (AI) at work often centers around its risks and rewards—is it reliable, will it boost productivity, and will it positively or negatively affect morale? But as the use of AI continues to rise, the more appropriate question may be: How can people and AI be successful coworkers, bringing out the best in each other?

Creating collaboration

In August 2024, workplace communication platform Slack posted a blog entry explaining what it calls collaborative AI—a trend in which “artificial collaborators empower humans to make the most of their time and reach new levels of productivity.”

The Slack team went on to say such collaboration can reduce the chance of “human error or bias in tasks like data analysis and meeting transcriptions.” The post also says AI can be an opportunity for employees rather than a threat.

Slack also has tips on achieving employee collaboration with AI. First, organizations need to define goals related to using AI to help workflow. Then, identify what “monotonous, time-consuming tasks” can be delegated to AI.

Communicating what tasks belong where is also key. “Everyone should understand who or what owns each task,” according to the Slack blog.

Just as important as understanding how tasks are distributed is human oversight, especially when first starting the AI-employee collaboration. Also, employers need to listen and learn from feedback and adjust plans when necessary.