Embracing AI tools: A guide for business leaders in the workplace
With the rise of AI tools, business leaders must navigate the challenge of adopting this technology and ensuring risk is mitigated. In today’s digital landscape, banning AI tools from the workplace is likely not feasible and could, in fact, negatively impact business success. Instead, business leaders must adopt a proactive approach to support and standardise their employees’ use of these tools and harness AI to maximise its potential.
Creating an AI policy for an organisation provides clear guidelines for the responsible use of the technology. Designing this policy should begin with determining the areas of the business it will cover, such as product development, automated decisions, data analysis, streamlining workflows, generating content, and customer interactions. The policy should include compliance and regulation to ensure employees are informed of data protection, privacy, and intellectual property laws. There should be clear goals for transparency and accountability around AI-produced work. Employees should also be encouraged to identify potential bias and discrimination in AI systems used to ensure inclusivity.
Providing a list of company-approved AI tools that have been pre-vetted by the relevant departments will help monitor their impact on the business. Larger organisations may consider adding a dedicated ‘AI Officer’ role to their department to guide and review usage, compliance, and developments. Companies should take a proactive approach to managing AI use and discourage the use of unauthorised or unvetted tools. Leaders can minimise the risk of misuse by providing a curated selection of AI tools that meet the organisation’s security, compliance, and performance standards.
It is essential to research and, if possible, trial AI tool providers before partnering with them. The providers should have proven experience in your industry with impressive case studies and testimonials. There should be a level of customisation that allows the tool to integrate into existing workflows to minimise disruption -such as an AI presentation maker that can work with existing PowerPoint and Google Slides decks. The provider must be able to demonstrate adherence to regulatory requirements and data security measures. And the cost and ROI potential need to make sense for your unique business environment.
Education is a vital component. Training is an essential step in equipping employees with the knowledge and skills to use AI tools optimally. Sessions should cover AI’s technical capabilities, identify pitfalls, and teach best practices. For example, employees can learn to utilise AI for tasks like analysing market trends or optimising investment strategies, all while maintaining human oversight to ensure accuracy and compliance. AI usage should be approached as an opportunity for continuous learning and development as progress in this field is rapid, and improved tools will enter the market as the costs to produce this technology are lessened.
Despite the initial excitement of how AI can automate tasks and increase productivity, leaders should raise awareness of AI’s limitations. Despite the impressive speed, accuracy is not infallible. Leaders must emphasise the importance of human intervention in verifying facts and figures generated by AI algorithms. By instilling a culture of critical thinking and scepticism, organisations can guard against the potential inaccuracies that AI may produce.
Initial research, policy and strategy development, and investment into AI tool adoption may seem daunting. However, operational efficiency and employee productivity benefits will likely recoup these costs reasonably quickly. Automating tasks that take significant time investment manually, such as crafting professional presentations, will instantly optimise workflow. There is also the consideration that competitors embracing AI may eclipse businesses that do not, especially in the tech sector.
Embracing AI tools is not just about adopting the latest technology—it’s about embracing a mindset of innovation and adaptability. Business leaders must take proactive steps to support and standardise the use of AI in the workplace, ensuring that employees have the knowledge and resources they need to succeed in an AI-enabled world. By investing in education, raising awareness about AI limitations, and managing AI usage responsibly, organisations can unlock the full potential of this transformative technology and drive future success.
Author bio:
Daniel Li is the Co-Founder and CEO of Plus Docs, an AI productivity platform that helps anyone create professional presentations. Plus combines the latest AI technologies with principles of visual design to create an AI copilot that helps customers design, generate, and edit presentations. Prior to starting Plus, Daniel worked in management consulting and venture capital. He was a Partner at Madrona Venture Group, where he led investments in AI and productivity startups. Daniel launched Plus to give people more time to focus on the work that matters most, by using AI to automate their manual and repetitive tasks.
