Nurturing a Culture of Innovation with Generative AI

Hosting an HR roundtable on Generative AI (GAI) has been at the top of my mind for a while. Over the past nine months, the discussions and advancements in GAI have been substantial. Each month, we witness new applications and innovations.

So, I was pleased when we gathered 40 HR leaders from our network in Korea to discuss the usage and impact of GAI on workforce dynamics and how it has transformed our ways of working. The session was hosted by Hyung Kyu Kim, Korea Head of Human Resources at Microsoft, and co-presented by Tabby Kim, Asia Pacific Head of Human Resources at 3M.

To have a good mix of companies, we invited companies that have already integrated GAI across multiple functions to discuss the change journey and how we can leverage GAI at work. As we embrace this new industrial revolution, I wanted to highlight critical aspects we must navigate and manage during this transformative process.

Interestingly, about one-third of the companies represented at the meeting have prohibited using GAI for now. However, Microsoft’s latest research shows that 75% of knowledge workers now use AI at work. This indicates a strong desire for the use of AI among employees, who often bring their own AI tools to work—sometimes without the company’s knowledge. This raises significant data and information security concerns. Recognising the growing appetite for AI, both speakers emphasised the importance of pre-work and change management programs to create an AI-empowered work environment. In the meeting, we shifted the discussion away from the impact of GAI and focused on how we can prepare our people and organisation to embrace the change.

We identified several essential tips to prepare our organizations:

Ethical Usage of Data

Data security was a major focus during our discussions. We must constantly remind our employees about the ethical use of data for corporate purposes, establish clear guidelines and policies, and be vigilant in handling personal data. Educating them on the authorised use of AI tools for work is crucial.

Addressing Job Security Concerns

As AI usage increases across functions and roles, it naturally creates fears about job security. While it’s inevitable that roles may be eliminated, millions of new jobs will emerge. Helping employees navigate this thought process is essential to fostering a positive culture around AI. We will have to re-skill and up-skill our people.

Top-Down Approach to AI Adoption

Change must be led by management teams and CEOs who actively showcase their AI skills. This top-down approach builds confidence in AI and cultivates a positive organisational culture.

AI as an Upskilling Tool not a Cheating Tool

It is vital to shift the narrative around AI usage. Employees should be encouraged to see AI as a means to enhance their skills and capabilities, not as a form of cheating. Building a culture that recognises AI as a tool for unlocking new skills and augmenting strengths is essential.

Embracing the New Industrial Revolution

Companies view AI implementation as the latest industrial revolution, dramatically altering our work methods, creating new industries and economic values, and fostering new human behaviours. We are currently experiencing these changes firsthand. As toolkits and perspectives evolve rapidly, it is crucial to consider how we can adapt and adopt AI. AI at work is already here, and the future is now.

We were thrilled to bring our network together to share diverse perspectives. Korea has always been a frontrunner in digitalisation and innovation. We were inspired to hear from Microsoft and 3M about their head-starts on this journey.