With the rise of generative AI and AI writers like ChatGPT and Bard, many workers are becoming increasingly concerned about how artificial intelligence may very soon take their jobs, but one recent study suggests that may not be the case after all.
A paper (opens in new tab) co-written by Stanford and MIT researchers found AI boosted worker productivity by almost 14%, specifically in chat and call handling where the time it took workers to reach a resolution was reduced.
The study also found less skilled and less experienced workers to have benefited from AI, which helped to soften the learning and experience-gaining curve.
Is generative AI good for my job?
Overall, the study found that high-skill workers benefited less from the technology, though it does play its part in raising the average skill and experience level across the board, helping companies to perform better as a whole.
Summarizing the discoveries, the authors explain that “generative AI working alongside humans can have a significant positive impact on the productivity and retention of individual workers,” debunking some concerns that AI would entirely replace human workers.
The paper reflects on computation that has so far been limited to handling explicit rules and thus has only affected roles that handle repetitive tasks. With AI, though, its ability to be trained on unlabeled data has seen it take on more non-routine tasks, like coding, writing, and designing.
The researchers conclude with a generally positive sentiment toward AI, citing increased worker productivity, improved customer sentiment, and reductions in employee turnover, though admittedly long-term trends relating to skill demand, job design, customer demand, and wages are yet to be drawn.
A broader look at the world of work has shown inconclusive evidence so far, with some companies laying off workers in favor of AI, others looking to attract new talent to cope with AI, and one IBM exec suggesting that AI won’t replace managers, but managers who use AI will replace those that don’t.