Key Predictions for Generative AI

Gartner's latest AI Predictions: The Future of Work just published — and it paints a provocative picture of what's ahead. This new research builds on our earlier AI Predicts series (focused on enterprise tech and operations), and zeroes in on one of the most urgent questions for leaders: What happens when AI becomes a co-worker, coach, and competitor — all at once? Here are 5 bold predictions that stood out: 1. AI as the coach: In many roles, AI will be the first "coach" or mentor for new hires — guiding onboarding, task execution, and decision-making from day one. 2. Decision-making gets a new agent: AI agents will influence more business decisions over time — though safely navigating the near-term hype will be critical. 3. Human services will transform: From B2C customer support to B2B consulting, AI-augmented services will shift how value is created — and redefine the role of human expertise. 4. The slow waning of the “language requirement”: Job postings will increasingly move away from requiring specific programming languages, as AI tooling and low-code platforms become the norm. 5. A looming talent crunch: Enterprises may face irreversible skill gaps in some roles — driven by GenAI accuracy limitations, skill erosion, and misaligned compensation models. Curious where your workforce strategy stands against these predictions? Check out the full research here (Subscription needed) - https://lnkd.in/gtHhvqUv It was a privilege to collaborate with my amazing co-authors on this research! cc Helen Poitevin, Anushree Verma, Deepak Seth, Jeremy D'Hoinne, Nitish Tyagi, Whit Andrews Not a Gartner Client? Explore free resources in our Generative AI Resource Center - https://lnkd.in/gqWbHsUf #AI #FutureOfWork #Gartner #GenerativeAI #TalentStrategy #AIpredictions #GenAI

AI in 2024: What Came True (and What Didn’t) 📑✅❌ Last year, I shared my top 🔟 predictions for how AI would shape 2024. Now, it’s time to revisit and reflect. Let’s dive in: 1️⃣ Generative AI Everywhere 🧠 Prediction: Generative AI would move beyond art to revolutionize content strategy and product design, powered by Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). ✅ Reality: Spot on. RAG boosted accuracy, and generative AI became a core tool in marketing, UX, and more. 2️⃣ Creativity Meets AI 🎨 Prediction: AI would co-create in scriptwriting, music, and other arts. ✅ Reality: True. AI co-wrote TV scripts, composed music, and partnered with artists, though debates (like the SAG-AFTRA strikes) highlighted tensions between humans and automation. 3️⃣ Ethical AI Takes Center Stage ⚖️ Prediction: Bias mitigation and privacy would dominate the AI ethics conversation. 🟡 Reality: Accurate, but complex. The EU’s AI Act and U.S. guidelines made progress, but fairness and accountability remain tough challenges. 4️⃣ Sustainability and AI 🌍 Prediction: AI would contribute to climate solutions. 🟡 Reality: Mixed. AI optimized renewable energy grids and detected deforestation, but concerns over its carbon footprint are growing louder. 5️⃣ Cybersecurity Supercharged 🔒 Prediction: AI would bolster threat detection and response. ✅ Reality: True. AI helped combat phishing and ransomware attacks, though adversarial AI also advanced, keeping cybersecurity teams on their toes. 6️⃣ AI in Business 💼 Prediction: AI would drive efficiency in workflows and decision-making. ✅ Reality: Spot on. AI transformed industries, from supply chains to analytics, and cemented its role as a strategic business tool. 7️⃣ Education Gets Personal 📚 Prediction: AI would tailor learning experiences for diverse students. ✅ Reality: Absolutely. Tools like Khan Academy’s Khanmigo personalized learning journeys, engaging students in innovative ways. 8️⃣ Healthcare Revolutionized 🏥 Prediction: AI would enhance diagnostics and treatment plans. ✅ Reality: Correct. Tools like DeepMind’s AlphaFold and Med-PaLM advanced diagnostics and personalized care. 9️⃣ Open-Source AI Boom 🌐 Prediction: Open-source AI would democratize access and innovation. ✅ Reality: Nailed it. Platforms like Hugging Face and Meta’s LLaMA lowered barriers, fueling experimentation and collaboration. 🔟 Multimodal AI Magic 🎥 Prediction: Multimodal AI would combine text, images, and video for seamless interactions. ✅ Reality: Absolutely true. GPT-4 Vision and Google Gemini showcased how natural AI interactions could become. Reflections 🤔 2024 validated many predictions while introducing new challenges—like balancing AI’s innovation with its energy demands and ethical dilemmas. #AI #Reflections

The biggest AI impacts won’t be borne out in a calculus of jobs but rather in seismic shifts in the level of expertise required to do them. In our article in Harvard Business Review, Joseph Fuller, Michael Fenlon, and I explore how AI will bend learning curves and change job requirements as a result. It’s a simple concept with profound implications. In some jobs, it doesn’t take long to get up to speed. But in a wide array of jobs, from sales to software engineering, significant gaps exist between what a newbie and an experienced incumbent know. In many jobs with steep learning curves, our analysis indicates that entry-level skills are more exposed to GenAI automation than those of higher-level roles. In these roles, representing 1 in 8 jobs, entry-level opportunity could evaporate. Conversely, about 19% of workers are in fields where GenAI is likely to take on tasks that demand technical knowledge today, thereby opening up more opportunities to those without hard skills.   Our analysis suggests that, in the next few years, the better part of 50 million jobs will be affected one way or the other. The extent of those changes will compel companies to reshape their organizational structures and rethink their talent-management strategies in profound ways. The implications will be far reaching, not only for industries but also for individuals and society. Firms that respond adroitly will be best positioned to harness GenAI’s productivity-boosting potential while mitigating the risk posed by talent shortages.   I hope you will take the time to explore this latest collaboration between the The Burning Glass Institute and the Harvard Business School Project on Managing the Future of Work. I am grateful to BGI colleagues Benjamin Francis, Erik Leiden, Nik Dawson, Harin Contractor, Gad Levanon, and Gwynn Guilford for their work on this project. https://lnkd.in/ekattaQA #ai #artificialintelligence #humanresources #careers #management #futureofwork