Federal employees are generally aware that potential changes in their jobs are on the horizon due to advances in artificial intelligence and they want more information and assistance from their agencies in working through the impact, a study has said.
A survey of 500 federal employees by the Government Business Council and Accenture Federal Services found that half expect their roles in conjunction with AI will increase but only a quarter say their agency has communicated the potential impacts well. Similarly, about a third believe AI will create opportunities for their work but three-fifths are concerned about a lack of training and support from their agencies—although nine-tenths have interest in learning new skills.
The report’s recommendations for agencies to prepare their workforces for AI include:
“Engage early with formal change management activities to engage the workforce and deliver “what’s in it for me?” messages. Emphasize how intelligent technologies can enable employees to achieve better results by elevating their skills to higher-value tasks.
“Convey the organization’s commitment to bringing employees on this journey as active participants. Share real-world examples of employees already exploring these skills across the federal government.
“Embed the workforce into the planning process so that intelligent technologies become part of the organization’s culture, building skills while technology is being evaluated. Address how the tools and technologies will support day-to-day work, helping employees identify where they may need to broaden or sharpen their skills.”