Editor’s Note: This content is sponsored by Sprout Solutions and was handled by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No member of the news and editorial team was involved in the publication of this piece.
“What happens to work when it is no longer a unit of work? What happens to workers’ skills when knowledge is already free?”
Philip Amores, vice president of people and culture at KMC Solutions, opened a panel discussion to analyze the “AI Workforce” – or the changing nature of jobs and roles due to the age of artificial intelligence – with these questions at this year’s SaaScon PH at the Marriott Grand Hall, Pasay City, May 12.
As job security has become a common concern, these innovators are no longer the elephant in the room. However, they are still here, persisting in organizations; hence, the importance of listening to human resources experts who are dealing with these changes in real time.
In essence, human-led innovation combined with AI has become the cornerstone of the annual SaaScon – the premier gathering of B2B SaaS innovators, technology leaders, and investors. This has long been integrated with the AI-enhanced HR, payroll, and embedded finance platform Sprout Solutions, which calls itself “the first AI platform for people”. But is it really possible to marry two seemingly different concepts?
Here are some of the things we learned from Sprout, along with other industry leaders who participated in the panel discussions.
Use AI as a tool for change
Instead of seeing AI as something that can easily replace highly skilled humans without much change, it can help to see it as an aid in accelerating the company’s existing goals for the productivity of its employees.
During the event’s first panel discussion on how business leaders are transforming their companies in the age of AI, Ambe Tierro, managing director of Accenture’s country and technology centers in the Philippines, shared that AI has been used to transform their customer settings, service delivery and internal processes (such as HR, marketing and legal).
This includes using a combination of generative AI and AI agents in their workflow, which brings productivity. And although they invest heavily in training, he explained that training is not enough – you have to address the culture through programs and activities where employees feel safe to learn, too.
Remember that the AI needs you, too
One of the most powerful statements of the day came from Sprout Solutions CEO Patrick Gentry: “AI is not a magic wand. It can improve what’s already there (but) it won’t fix what’s broken.”
This shows that people’s decision-making and critical thinking skills remain an important force in everyday operations – and, frankly, AI needs humans to function well, too. However, companies need to first check if they are equipped enough to use AI in the first place.
During an interview opportunity, I asked Gentry more about what he thinks are the three main characteristics of an AI-ready company.
“One of the things we’ve found to be most useful is something from the panel, which is transparency. A company that has a clear idea of what direction they’re trying to push with AI will do better than a company that doesn’t have that vision,” he said in an exclusive conversation with Rappler.
“Two, I think a company whose leadership is willing to engage with AI itself is very important. What we’ve seen from Chipukizi – both within Chipukizi and our customer base – is businesses where leaders are modeling are where AI transformation happens most successfully.”
Last on his list involves getting ahead of the game: “Technology is so democratized(…) It’s so easy to get paralyzed by the noise and all the things that are happening. But the companies that just sit down and start playing with AI, start testing it are already way ahead of everyone else because a lot of companies haven’t even played with it at all.”
For him, it’s important to just start testing, instead of spending a lot of time perfecting their AI roadmap.
How can AI work to your advantage?
Enjoying the benefits of AI, as ironic as it may sound, demands qualities that only real humans possess. Monica Maralit, chief operating officer of PSG Global Solutions, highlighted the importance of courage and humility when it comes to building an AI-powered workforce.
“Have the courage to change because what got you here probably won’t get you there, so it has to be something different. (And) then, humility, because (it’s) constant learning,” he said.
Meanwhile, Alvanson So, regional head at Canva, works on what he calls “compassionate change,” which ensures that no employee is left behind in the change process.
“It’s a different direction of change management where you’re just trying to manage change and do things, but you don’t put time and effort into intentionally bringing people on the journey, something that I think compassion is trying to fix(…) Kindness is a human value that will bring about a better era of change, especially in the age of technology,” he said.
He added that leaders bear the responsibility of being open to employees about the direction the company is going, including changes in their roles.
“I think at the speed we are working and the speed at which the world economy continues to improve, there is room or very little room for these kinds of human values. But then we are in the business of people. And therefore, we must not forget that it is these small things that make these changes more bearable.” – Rappler.com
