In the last few years, the growing adoption of artificial intelligence in organisations and the role of HR in driving such a transformation has gained maximum traction. As AI continues to overpower various industries, its significance has traversed from being a tool merely for the tech-savvy to a necessity for the entire workforce. Amidst the hype, a crucial question arises: How can organisations seamlessly integrate AI into their culture and operations? 

In an exclusive webinar conducted by People Matters in association with upGrad Enterprise, top leaders discussed how organisations can drive and leverage AI to enhance business outcomes while addressing workforce readiness. Dr Shalini Lal, Founder - Unqube, Rasesh Shah, Chief Practice Officer - Edtech at Fractal and Shirin Rai Gupta, Director - upGrad Enterprise, offered their valuable insights on overcoming barriers to AI adoption.

Demystifying AI for HR professionals

The session opened with Shirin Rai Gupta addressing the need for actionable conversations around AI in the workplace. Referring to the report, “Bridging the Skills Gap: The Impact of AI and Automation in the Workplace,” curated on the insights of around 1200 HR leaders, she revealed a striking contrast - while 75% of respondents were familiar with AI, a mere 10% reported being fluent in its applications. Shirin highlighted the need to bridge this divide by empowering HR leaders to leverage AI for tangible impact.

Navigating change with AI

Reflecting on the transition from on-premise data processing to cloud computing, Rasesh Shah remarked how managing technological transitions goes beyond mere technical upskilling. He emphasised fostering decision-making and problem-solving abilities to successfully navigate the trench between business challenges and actionable strategies.

New essentials for the leadership

Dr Shalini Lal discussed the pivotal role of leadership in driving such transitions and implementing AI-driven practices, highlighting that change comes from the top. Successful organisations invest in AI literacy by executing large-scale awareness drives rather than relying on individual efforts to take courses online. Leadership buy-in is a fundamental catalyst for a seamless transition and adoption of AI. Dr Shalini added that the ability to ask the right questions and effectively leverage data insights has become contemporary leadership's cornerstone.

A clear call to upskill

There is an increasing and unmistakable need for organisations to guide employees in adopting AI as part of their professional toolkit. As Rasesh highlighted, the concern is not limited to workforce reduction but the plausibility that failure to embrace AI can replace an employee with someone who can leverage it. Employees, especially Gen Z, are eager to learn and adapt but require guidance on applying these technologies, effectively.

Dr Shalini outlined that organisations must take ownership of embedding AI learning into the workday - the onus should not rest merely on individuals. She discussed examples of organisations that have integrated AI learning by creating dedicated AI hubs for leaders to explore its practical use cases and how that can be incorporated into their daily workings. 

Fostering a culture of innovation and learning

Amidst a thought-provoking conversation, Shirin turned to Rasesh to understand how HR can remain relevant in an ever-evolving corporate culture with perpetual technological upgrades. Rasesh emphasised the significance of incentivising people to learn. The HR must foster a culture of learning and innovation, where employees are recognised and acknowledged for using updated technologies to solve real-world problems. This approach would enable employees to leverage AI and drive enhanced productivity.

AI, bottom-up culture, and organisational responsibility

Today, the importance of upskilling and the need for organisations to actively embrace emerging technologies is growing by leaps and bounds. The panellists reflected on fostering organisational growth not just through top-down approaches but bottom-down participation as well. Enabling employees to share their experiences with using AI could inspire exponential growth rather than depending entirely on a one-way teaching approach. 

Dr Shalini emphasised the need for organisations to foster a work culture where AI is not an imposition but is embraced actively by employees across all levels. A collaborative, experimentation-driven organisation is essential to thrive in solving enterprise challenges using AI and ultimately achieve organisational success.

Embracing AI at the board and CXO levels is the primary step towards successfully integrating AI within organisations, added Rasesh. Once leadership is on board, implementing AI becomes more straightforward - identifying key business drivers within the organisation and then narrowing down key priorities. This must be followed by prototyping, learning and, iteration. This strategic and practical approach ensures that AI adoption is widespread and impactful.

As AI evolves into a critical tool for organisational success, its adoption across all hierarchical levels - from the boardroom to the frontlines, has become imperative. Workforce readiness is the linchpin in this journey, equipping employees with the technical skills and resources needed to thrive in an AI-driven environment. A seamless integration of AI, rooted in collaboration and collective engagement, has the potential to unlock boundless organisational value and unparalleled growth.