Reality check on AI as it affects politics more than business

SINGAPORE: Generative artificial intelligence (AI) was the biggest thing to happen in the world of work in 2023, until it was not.

The year is ending with a reality check for many bosses, who are realising that they have not figured out what to use AI for, how to use it, and if they are ready for it.

Meanwhile, more workers plodded back to the office, trailed by new coffee chains betting big on their caffeine breaks.

The ugly word “bleisure” resurged after the pandemic, as more workers returned to business travelling, with four in 10 tagging private vacations to their work trips.

What will happen in 2024?

Lay-offs caused by AI adoption will be held off in 2024, said tech consultancy Access Partnership’s Bensen Koh. But workers will continue to be under pressure.

Programmers, financial analysts, customer service providers and graphic designers will be among professions most affected, while others such as plumbers, gardeners, counsellors and healthcare practitioners would less likely be so.

“The impact on workers will be uneven,” he said.

Workers already planning how to get ahead will find themselves more desirable when Gen AI goes mainstream.

“One way might be to be an early adopter, to become an AI practitioner and be the one providing advice on how best to adopt AI in your field,” said Koh.

Another route would be to pick up complementary skills, he said.

“For example, a graphic designer could also develop expertise in marketing and progress to design and lead campaigns.”

With elections coming up in the United States, Europe, India and Taiwan, analyst Laveena Iyer from the Economist Intelligence Unit expects Gen AI to impact politics more than business.

“Generative AI, and the fake content that it can produce, will drive misinformation and erode confidence in the political process, undermining its legitimacy,” she said.

“Any substantial election interference this time around would impact broader trust in AI.”

Gloria Arlini, chief operating officer of Generation Singapore, a non-profit for retraining and job placement, believes more bosses will coach workers for specific roles and skills.

So, goodbye to old methods of training for training’s sake, such as doling out training credits or hitting a number of training hours.

There will be more apprenticeship and traineeship programmes, she added, offering smoother transitions for workers taking up skills-based jobs.

She expects more firms to formally recognise diverse skills, education qualifications and mental health differences in hiring. The workplace fairness legislation to be passed in 2024 will be an impetus.

“Singapore’s workforce is set to become more adaptable, inclusive and in tune with the demands of the new economy,” she said.

Over three in 10 small and medium-sized firms here use employer of record (EOR) services to manage remote teams, and most of them plan to do more of it in 2024, said EOR firm Remote, citing an IDC survey it commissioned.

An EOR is an entity that legally employs workers on behalf of another business, handling all aspects of employment including compliance, payroll and taxes.

“We see international organisations wanting to hire Singaporeans, as well as Singaporean businesses looking to expand internationally and leverage talent beyond borders,” said the firm’s chief executive Job van der Voort.

Jobs are expected to turn more global. —The Straits Times/ANN