{"670970":{"#nid":"670970","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Generative AI Will Transform Knowledge Work ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGenerative AI tools have taken the world by storm. ChatGPT reached 100 million monthly users \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/chatgpt-sets-record-fastest-growing-user-base-analyst-note-2023-02-01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Efaster than any internet application\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E in history. The potential benefits of efficiency and productivity gains for knowledge-intensive firms are clear, and companies in industries such as professional services, health care, and finance are investing billions in adopting the technologies.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBut the benefits for individual knowledge workers can be less clear. When technology can do many tasks that only humans could do in the past, what does it mean for knowledge workers? Generative AI can and will automate some of the tasks of knowledge workers, but that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it will replace all of them. Generative AI can also help knowledge workers find more time to do meaningful work, and improve performance and productivity. The difference is in how you use the tools.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn this article, we aim to explain how to do that well. First, to help employees and managers understand ways that generative AI can support knowledge work. And second, to identify steps that managers can take to help employees realize the potential benefits.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWhat Is Knowledge Work?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EKnowledge work primarily involves cognitive processing of information to generate value-added outputs. It differs from manual labor in the materials used and the types of conversion processes involved. Knowledge work is typically dependent on advanced training and specialization in specific domains, gained over time through learning and experience. It includes both structured and unstructured tasks. Structured tasks are those with well-defined and well-understood inputs and outputs, as well as prespecified steps for converting inputs to outputs. Examples include payroll processing or scheduling meetings. Unstructured tasks are those where inputs, conversion procedures, or outputs are mostly ill-defined, underspecified, or unknown a priori. Examples include resolving interpersonal conflict, designing a product, or negotiating a salary.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EVery few jobs are purely one or the other. Jobs consist of many tasks, some of which are structured and others which are unstructured. Some tasks are necessary but repetitive. Some are more creative or interesting. Some can be done alone, while others require working with other people. Some are common to everything the worker does, while others happen only for exceptions. As a knowledge worker, your job, then, is to manage this complex set of tasks to achieve their goals.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EComputers have traditionally been good at performing structured tasks, but there are many tasks that only humans can do. Generative AI is changing the game, moving the boundaries of what computers can do and shrinking the sphere of tasks that remain as purely human activity. While it can be worrisome to think about generative AI encroaching on knowledge work, we believe that the benefits can far outweigh the costs for most knowledge workers. But realizing the benefits requires taking action now to learn how to leverage generative AI in support of knowledge work.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EContinue reading: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hbr.org\/2023\/11\/how-generative-ai-will-transform-knowledge-work?ab=HP-hero-featured-image-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHow Generative AI Will Transfer Knowledge Work\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EReprinted from the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hbr.org\/2023\/11\/how-generative-ai-will-transform-knowledge-work?ab=HP-hero-featured-text-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHarvard Business Review, November 7, 2023.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hbr.org\/search?term=maryam%20alavi\u0026amp;search_type=search-all\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMaryam Alavi\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E is the Elizabeth D. \u0026amp; Thomas M. Holder Chair \u0026amp; Professor of IT Management, Scheller College of Business,\u0026nbsp;Georgia Institute of Technology. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hbr.org\/search?term=george%20westerman\u0026amp;search_type=search-all\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorge Westerman\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E is a Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management and founder of the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gof.mit.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGlobal Opportunity Forum\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;in MIT\u2019s Office of Open Learning. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn research published by the Harvard Business Review, Maryam Alavi examined how generative AI can transform knowledge work and how workers can begin using generative AI tools wisely. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In research published by the Harvard Business Review, Maryam Alavi examined how generative AI can transform knowledge work and how workers can begin using generative AI tools wisely. "}],"uid":"28082","created_gmt":"2023-11-09 15:33:59","changed_gmt":"2023-11-15 22:14:09","author":"Lorrie Burroughs","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672324":{"id":"672324","type":"image","title":"maryam-alavi-new.jpg","body":null,"created":"1699544074","gmt_created":"2023-11-09 15:34:34","changed":"1699544074","gmt_changed":"2023-11-09 15:34:34","alt":"headshot of Maryam Alavi","file":{"fid":"255549","name":"maryam-alavi-new.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/09\/maryam-alavi-new_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/09\/maryam-alavi-new_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":70039,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/11\/09\/maryam-alavi-new_2.jpg?itok=IcE1X2Hh"}}},"media_ids":["672324"],"groups":[{"id":"1274","name":"Scheller College of Business"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELorrie Burroughs\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}