Let’s talk about people & GenAI on the job 🏢, at school 🍎, or “working smarter” together. AI tools can supercharge productivity and give us a performance edge.

Corporations and organizations value performance and productivity so it’s no wonder everyone wants to get on the AI bandwagon to squeeze out some ROI.

THE INDIVIDUAL

✅ A caveat individuals should remember is: “while access to generative AI can improve performance, it can substantially inhibit learning.”

Hamsa Bastani, Osbert Bastani, Alp Süngü, Haosen Ge, Ph.D., Özge Kabakcı, and Rei Mariman published this conclusion in their July paper “Generative AI Can Harm Learning.”

✅ We understand this tradeoff when using GenAI and have seen this phenomenon in adopting new tech. We have evolved our skills as the tech has evolved – i.e., the whole calculator debate. However, with the speedy adoption of GenAI tools, will we see an impact on human learning and agency that differs from the past?

✅ Researchers say we’re learning when we struggle. Not so much when we don’t. (e.g., Jay Klagge’s Struggling: A Pathway to Learning). So, an individual riding on the struggle bus 🚌 can arrive at the destination of learning.

THE COLLECTIVE

📌 For a company, for example, struggling – i.e., learning – is not considered time- ⏱️ or cost- 💰effective. Alternative KPIs indicate growth and success more easily. Learning is hard to measure for the collective since L&D is a long-term non-linear process and may not directly cause positive business results.

📌 However, correlation 📈 shows individuals who learn within a collective are more productive and outperform those who are not. Association for Talent Development (ATD)‘s 2023 State of the Industry confirms companies that offer comprehensive training programs have 218% higher income per employee than companies without.

📌 These companies have a 24% higher profit margin than those spending less on training.

CONCLUSION

What do you think? Share your perspective in the comments 👇!