Hello from Hamburg, two weeks ago, a CEO asked me, “Do you have any recommendations for a consulting firm that can help us implement AI to streamline our processes?” Many companies hope to use artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify administrative work: managing financial controls, reconciling data, reviewing contract proposals, coordinating schedules, and drafting documents. The first instinct is to bring in a consulting firm or ramp up the pressure. For example, by only approving new positions if it can be proven that the task cannot be automated—which is reportedly the policy at Duolingo.
Such approaches amplify the concerns many employees already have: Is AI meant to support us, or will it lead to job cuts? I’m currently observing some strange contradictions surrounding the topic of jobs and AI. On the one hand, there’s the fear of job loss due to AI. On the other hand, we’re seeing a sense of constant overload among managers and employees—caused by too many operational tasks and too little time for meaningful work. Many give the impression of being burned out—an impression that high burnout rates and consistently high rates of sick leave seem to confirm. Studies also show that the number of people using AI in their personal lives is considerable. But at work? There, the use of AI is either kept secret or deliberately avoided. These contradictions are symptoms of a fundamental shift. The integration of AI into work processes has less to do with the introduction of new software or technology. Rather, it represents a cultural shift. It forces us to rethink our organization: What do we do? How do we do it? What can machines do, and what can humans do? For centuries, our organizations—with their structures, processes, and goals—have been built around people and their abilities. Yet AI can perform many of these tasks—manufacturing, marketing, sales, managing processes, and making decisions—better, faster, and more precisely with each passing month. Overwhelming fears and uncertainties loom large: Why do we still need people?
Here at company companions, we asked ourselves: Why won’t our consulting firm exist in 2030—and why will it? This question gave rise to a movement in which all colleagues are trying out AI tools and creating agents that free us from tedious yet necessary tasks: linking invoicing with time tracking. Planning trips. Drawing up a restructuring plan to build on that foundation. Conducting a market study. Underpinning value stream analyses. We’ve noticed firsthand that the key to successfully embedding AI into our daily work lies in creating an environment that encourages curiosity and experimentation, and invites the open sharing of experiences with AI. To embed AI in the company, we don’t need to expand the IT department; rather, we need cross-functional teams of technologists and users from all areas of the business, targeted, practice-oriented input from outside, and mentors who sit alongside colleagues and guide them in trying out everyday applications. When we asked about the future of our company, one colleague was briefly taken aback: “What will become of me?” she wondered. Recently, she approached me enthusiastically: “I’d love to focus solely on how we can improve ourselves with AI.” And at the same time, she was frustrated: “There’s so much to discover. How am I ever supposed to keep up?” One consolation: We’re experiencing a development whose end no one knows. We’re inevitably lagging behind. So let’s just boldly forge ahead.
And here’s another positive outlook: So far, every major technological leap has not only replaced jobs but, more importantly, created many new ones. Why should it be any different this time? —What about you? How do you approach AI in your day-to-day work and within your companies?
