What it really feels like to have AI as your new colleague | Tech News

Can you remember a world without AI?

Even before certain AI platforms exploded into mainstream consciousness and chatbots started being used to craft everything from CVs to poetry, AI has been revolutionising the way we work and live.

Unlocking your phone using your face? That’s thanks to AI. Scrolling through your social media app of choice and constantly amazed that it seems to be able to read your mind and only show the kind of content you’re interested in? Yep, that’s AI again.

Feel like voice-activated bots are part of the family and you’d be lost without them, even if they sometimes can’t understand what you’re saying? You guessed it… AI.

All of the above examples highlight how efficient AI can be, but is there any downside to its sometimes eerily accurate capabilities?

In May, the government’s outgoing chief scientific advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance told MPs that generative AI will have ‘a big impact on jobs’.

‘There will be jobs that can be done by AI, which can either mean a lot of people don’t have a job, or a lot of people have jobs that only a human could do,’ he told the Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee.

‘In the Industrial Revolution the initial effect was a decrease in economic output as people realigned in terms of what the jobs were – and then a benefit. We need to get ahead of that.’

Cross-sector takeup

Interestingly, generative AI isn’t just being used by tech workers. According to recent data, educational institutes are the second largest cohort to utilise one of the major chatbot platforms within the workplace, followed by business services, manufacturing, and finance.

And while there have been plenty of headlines extolling the potential threat generative AI poses to jobs, it has been estimated that generative AI could create 97million new jobs with its capabilities being used to enhance productivity rather than replace human workers entirely.

The UK government is acting accordingly and its National AI Strategy, unveiled in 2022, features an £8.5m research programme that aims to help organisations reach their full potential.

The bottom line? Whatever industry you’re working in, generative AI is on its way in some shape or form.

One company that is already actively embracing generative AI as a productivity tool is fintech Cleo, an AI-powered chatbot that aims to help users improve their financial health via personalised insights.

Features include Roast Mode which highlights purchases you might like to forget, such as 2am kebabs every Friday night, via a healthy dose of tough love, and Hype Mode, which praises users for spending less on certain items.

Founder and CEO Barney Hussey-Yeo believes that as Cleo is productising AI, it’s crucial that his entire team immerses themselves in the latest AI developments.

‘We see AI tools like ChatGPT Plus as a co-worker, collaborating with our team members to enhance their capabilities and productivity by automating routine tasks, freeing up their time to focus on higher-value work, writing copy and code, and summarising long-form content like dialogue and raw data,’ explains Annie Jackson, head of talent at Cleo.

‘We believe that AI technology can augment human potential, leading to a more efficient, effective and creative workforce.’

To date, 90% of Cleo employees have reported increased productivity courtesy of AI, and 70% use ChatGPT daily to help them complete tasks. Additionally, 90% of Cleo employees say they plan on using it in the future.

Jackson adds how staff ‘recognise that by immersing themselves in the latest AI developments, they can stay ahead of the curve and contribute to helping us achieve our mission’, noting many also use the tool outside of work, such as to help with ‘travel planning and packing lists, reading the news, and looking up recipes to cook’.

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