BY ERIN DEBOOY
If your business hasn’t started implementing AI, you’re already falling behind. And chances are, your employees are using it with or without your knowledge.
While fears of AI replacing humans in the workforce linger, businesses implementing AI into their everyday workflow are painting a picture of higher efficiency, improvement in performance, boosts in profit and advancement in their teams’ professional abilities.
Teams using AI have reported higher job satisfaction, better stress management, more passion in their work and a better work-life balance, according to a 2023 Slack Workforce Lab Report.
“Ultimately, the businesses that are not enhancing their workforce with AI are not going to be able to compete,” says Casey Wahl, senior AI product manager at Proscia and a founding board member of the Manitoba Association of AI Professionals.
AI is revolutionizing the way people traditionally work, Wahl says, and the organizations embracing its use are seeing benefits.
According to Wahl, businesses are seeing “massive gains” in cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Her message is clear: if you want to compete in the modern business climate, you have to adopt AI.
Michelle Kuly, CEO of Blueprint Inc. and co-founder of Neralake, a Manitoba-based AI platform that simplifies strategic planning and execution, says she leaned into AI early on, recognizing it wasn’t just a new tool but a fundamental shift in how we think about work and get jobs done.
Integrating AI into her own business not only shaped a path for growth, Kuly says. It allowed them to share what they were learning with clients in a safe and non-intimidating way.
“We believe strongly that we can use this tool for good,” Kuly says. “We can put policy around it that is ethical, transparent and manages risk. Our focus is on making sure AI supports people rather than replaces them.”
Ready or not, both Wahl and Kuly stress the imperative for businesses to have an internal AI policy in place.
”People are already using AI informally, often without clear guidance or policy. This creates risk, as employees are experimenting without permission “I find that when an organization doesn’t have an internal AI policy, employees are nervous about whether they’re going to break things or cross a line, so they’re not comfortable with experimentation or innovation,” Wahl says.
For many businesses, the challenge is deciding where to begin. Wahl suggests identifying some of the problems that exist in your day-to-day workflow and what tasks take up the most time — and then ask AI how to solve it. The key is starting simple.
“It’s really important that the pilot is a small technology commitment,” Wahl says. “One tool with one high-quality data set.”
Wahl emphasizes that frontline employees should help shape pilots, since they know their workflows best.
“Ultimately, the employees become co-creators of the program and that allows for more organic growth, ensuring both adoption and that the actual implementation is effective,” Wahl says.
But efficiency is just one part of the AI story. It can also be a powerful tool for skill-building and professional development, Kuly adds.
“Within our team, it’s about using AI to support employees in learning and expanding their skills. That transformation has been just phenomenal,” Kuly says.
“We’re seeing less fatigue, teams being able to get work done — teams feel like they have extra support. They’re more engaged in the work, excited about learning and eager to build new skills.”
It’s also important to set aside the necessary time for teams to come together in person to learn and experiment with AI, Wahl says.
“I always say that integrating AI into your business should be as hands-on as possible,” Wahl says. “One-on-one meetings or even a weekly drop-in session can be valuable, especially if that time is used to share pilots and discuss what people are trying. That creates a culture of learning and improvement.”
And that culture has to start at the top. Implementing AI in a workplace is no different than any sort of change, Kuly notes, but in order to see success, leadership must model the right behaviour.
“Leaders can’t take the view that ‘AI is for everyone but not for me.’ It sends the wrong message,” Kuly says.
“Adopting AI is about building a new way of working together. To understand its value and manage risks, leaders need to lean in, experiment and learn alongside their teams.” ■
