Workforce faces ‘AI FOMO’ challenges
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - As artificial intelligence becomes more common in the workforce, many employers are beginning to feel pressure to keep up with the rapidly evolving technology.
This growing concern is often referred to as AI FOMO, or the fear of missing out on using artificial intelligence effectively.
Some workers are already seeing the impact. Yuma local Jorge Diaz says automation is becoming more noticeable, especially in fast food restaurants. He says, “I’ve noticed that in fast food there’s no more people, it’s more of a computer thing going on. That would be the only place I could see that it’s overtaking some things, but other than that, as long as there’s a limit to it where we can live with it in a way.”
Diaz believes AI can be beneficial as long as there is a balance between technology and human workers.
Experts say there is no need for panic when it comes to AI. Chris Willis, chief officer at Domo, encourages employers to take a thoughtful approach. He says, “Be proactive, but don’t be panicked. The bigger risk now is just being unprepared to use AI well and not being so worried about being replaced by it or thinking that your job is going to change dramatically.”
AI FOMO can stem from feeling behind in the workplace or not knowing how to properly use artificial intelligence.
Willis says success will not come from adopting the technology as quickly as possible, but from using it wisely. “The winners of this, both organizations and individuals, are not going to be the ones who do adoption quickest, but the ones who adopt technology in the smartest way,” he says.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 64 percent of small businesses in Arizona are already using some form of AI platform.
Tools like ChatGPT and systems developed by OpenAI are becoming more common in everyday tasks, though not everyone fully understands how to use them.
Willis recommends starting small when bringing AI into the workplace.
“The best approach is to start small and experiment with things that are low risk, maybe responding to an email or creating a draft to an email from a customer. AI is actually good at extracting important information from those documents,” he says.
In the end, experts agree that artificial intelligence should not replace human workers, but instead support them. Willis adds, “AI is not something that should be designed as a replacement tool, but be used to elevate human judgment and creativity.”
