This was the year that artificial intelligence moved from science fiction to reality. With it came concerns that the new technology will change every sector of our economy and eliminate thousands of jobs.
One Twin Cities business leader and technology pioneer urges workers not to be afraid of artificial intelligence, which allows computers to perform tasks that have previously required human effort.
“We can use artificial intelligence for rote tasks, tedious tasks, stuff that steals our brain power. If we are willing to harness the power of it, we can work in more creative, bigger and bolder ways. It will increase the quality of interactions we have with each other,” said Nancy Lyons, founder and CEO of Clockwork, a Minneapolis-based experience design & technology consultancy.
Lyons draws parallels between the AI revolution and concerns that bubbled up with the arrival of personal computers a generation ago.
“A lot of people were afraid to have network computers in their homes and were afraid of online shopping experiences. We have changed and evolved. Once we got a handle on it, it improved business,” she said. “We all had to learn how to engage customers differently, but the Internet made business bigger.”
An award-winning employer and a longtime proponent of improving workplace culture, Lyons is the author of "Work Like a Boss: A Kick-in-the-pants Guide to Finding (and Using) Your Power at Work.”
She finds that the pandemic has changed expectations for both employers and people in the workforce.
“We’re spending so much time talking about whether we should we go back to the office, should we be hybrid, and not enough time about how we work,” she said. “I think we want more from work; to feel more connected, more purposeful. We are so much more than a job description.”
In recent years, Lyons has doubled down on her company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. When she speaks, writes and consults with other companies, she urges them to do the same.
Lyons is convinced their businesses will thrive if they embrace DEI and are at risk of being less profitable if they don’t.
“I live in a prosperity mindset. I believe there Is enough for everyone,” she said. “There are opportunities for diversity. We are richer and more resilient when we surround ourselves with people who are not like us and open ourselves to other perspectives and lived experiences.”
