Having recently set-up a new company, it’s been fascinating to see how many people are so excited for me…until I tell them it’s to do with AI. From many of them, I get an immediate eye roll, or they seem to be instantly uninterested. Until that is, that I explain that we’re focusing on the ‘people-side’ of the technology, aimed at supporting staff within universities to be able to embrace and not fear AI…and suddenly I’ve captured their interest again!
Talking with colleagues in HE as well as friends and family outside of it, there seems to be a real division being created between those who understand or are confident with AI, and those who clearly feel anxious towards it. Often, I’m finding that the reason behind the difference in these emotions is primarily to do with exposure and training.
But when we stop and reflect on why people are anxious towards AI, a saying from my childhood comes to mind ‘Don’t talk or take sweeties from strangers’. The reason we’re told this as children is to ensure that we are only connecting with people that our parents or guardians trust and are aware of, so that we remain safe and protected.
So when it comes to AI, surely this approach should still apply? Surely we are right to be cautious about something new, until we are guided not to be through education, guidance and positive experiences?
Now of course, whilst some could argue that we should all naturally want to upskill ourselves in AI as it can help us in so many facets of our life, the reality is that with increasingly busy lives, what we may want to do, and what we end up having time for, often become very different things….especially in the workplace.
It’s therefore easy to see how those who are already starting with a general nervousness towards technology and are increasingly time-poor, are starting to feel even more anxious and uncomfortable towards AI – and so the divisions become greater and the spiral continues.
It’s therefore my real hope that senior leaders within universities are able to take a moment to listen to how their workforce are feeling and respond to that, rather than the current temptation of purely focusing on what new tools to bring in and licenses to buy.
Let’s all be mindful of the impact that the ‘stranger in the room’ can have on each other, so that AIs future within universities is beneficial to everyone.
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