In this issue, we dig into the question of how AI affects expertise and skills: how AI affects mastering a complex field like coding, preserving human expertise in the age of AI, and a conversation with Matt Beane about his book, The Skill Code.
AI's impact on skill development: Balancing productivity gains with long-term expertise. Explore how AI changes apprenticeships, challenges traditional learning, and affects industries. Learn strategies to integrate AI while preserving crucial human skills and mentorship.
A conversation with UC Santa Barbara Assistant Professor Matt Beane about his book "The Skill Code: How to Save Human Ability in an Age of Intelligent Machines."
We gave the keynote presentation at the State of Oregon's Workforce Talent and Development Board's annual Summit in Portland, Oregon on March 9, 2020.
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“The opportunity for humans and technology to work together in creative and innovative ways is enormous. But it relies as much on the humans as it does on the machines. The incredible workshop session led by the Edwards at the 2020 Talent Summit was not only thought provoking, engaging, and innovative, but came with practical takeaways. Feedback on the workshop from summit attendees was excellent. The Edwards knocked it out of the park!” —Todd Nell, Director, State of Oregon Workforce and Talent Development Board
Case Study
Technology and education are in an arms race, so it makes a lot of sense for governments and agencies to understand the progress and opportunity of AI and automation. Oregon’s Workforce and Talent Development Board worries a lot about education, training, and talent development in Oregon. The Board prioritizes understanding the skills working Oregonians need for current and future jobs.
When we were asked by the Workforce and Talent Development Board to hold a workshop on AI workforce readiness for more than 100 executives and educators at the Oregon Talent Summit, we had to rapidly innovate our existing workshop processes in order to handle such a large, diverse crowd—especially when the brief was for practical, tangible output that people could apply in their organizations.
We came up with a design-thinking, table-top exercise where participants assessed their own organization’s AI-readiness, the results of which were rolled up and indicative of the State’s overall readiness. Table-based groups had time to talk and compare answers to discussion points around training for technical and non-technical people, how many roles in the company explicitly include AI responsibilities, the diversity of decision-making, and whether the company has people whose job it is to obsess over ethical, social, and regulatory matters.
Once the groups had assessed AI-readiness, participants discussed the importance of closing the gap and prioritized initiatives based on impact and do-ability. This helped people think through whether initiatives were easy wins, stretch goals, increments worth doing, or whether to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. This exercise was valuable because it helps make service-based outcomes more tangible.
As AI changes how humans approach work, the most valuable skills will change. Many of these skills—empathy, questioning, coaching, and dealing with complexity and unpredictability—are hard to measure. This exercise showed people that AI-readiness goes well beyond technology and the role of the IT department. Adopting AI successfully means developing skills across all of the business.
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Are you interested in a presentation or workshop on AI and complex change for your organization? Get in touch.
Dave Edwards is a Co-Founder of Artificiality. He previously co-founded Intelligentsia.ai (acquired by Atlantic Media) and worked at Apple, CRV, Macromedia, Morgan Stanley, and Quartz.
Helen Edwards is a Co-Founder of Artificiality. She previously co-founded Intelligentsia.ai (acquired by Atlantic Media) and worked at Meridian Energy, Pacific Gas & Electric, Quartz, and Transpower.