The hype, the reality and the future of AI in the workplace

Author: Richard Hills, VP of Advanced Technology at Sign In Solutions

The launch of ChatGPT caught the attention of the public overnight - for the first time in history, a practical and useful AI tool for the general public had sprung into existence. There was now more buzz around AI than there's ever been before; it was as if the future had arrived much earlier than anticipated. AI technology companies saw their valuations explode, and for a time NVIDIA became the world's most valuable company.

But as quickly as the hype peaked, reality began to set in. Some users experienced “AI hallucinations” and bias which quickly made them doubt the capabilities. Other employees were worried that AI would threaten their jobs, and turn the business world upside down. The stratospheric valuations of those AI companies went through a series of "adjustments".

The gap between exaggerated expectations and real potential now seemed huge, leaving many with negative perceptions of AI; now being back to square one. But we believe where the gap really lies is between the potential of AI and how are making use of it today. 

Due to those negative perceptions, AI’s presence in the workplace remains incredibly limited. Recent studies show that only about half of companies are using any AI at all, and even fewer employees interact with AI on a daily basis. Most meetings are still scheduled manually, and employees continue to struggle with email overload much as they did 20 years ago. In many organizations, the internal mechanisms for organizing work haven’t changed much in two decades. While we’ve seen advancements like the shift from desktop software to cloud-based tools and the introduction of team collaboration platforms, these changes are incremental rather than revolutionary.

So where does AI really come into play in the workplace of today and the future?

Imagine a world where every employee, regardless of their position, has their own personal AI assistant - an agent that helps manage their calendar, respond to emails, and boosts their productivity. While previously only executives and directors would have PAs, in this new world all employees have the support of a personal AI assistant, freeing them to focus on higher-level thinking and creative problem-solving tasks; making them even more valuable to the company. 

To see how this would look, let us take you through a day in the life of Jason - a junior account manager:

Jason is new to the company, having graduated just 6 months previously. But he has a superpower - an AI assistant that reads his emails, manages his diary, and takes care of many routine day to day tasks.

Jason starts at 9am - he has had two dozen emails from international clients overnight. He is close to his target for the quarter, but with only a few days remaining he needs to make up the shortfall.

One of his opportunities has emailed saying that the contract is tied up with the legal team over some concerns about data residency. This will push the close date into the following quarter, jeopardizing Jason's target and his bonus.

His AI personal assistant is well aware of his predicament. It has already drafted a couple of email responses. In one, it offers a discount which will expire on the last day of the quarter, as a way of applying pressure on his contact to help speed things up internally. Jason is not keen - he knows that his manager will want to know what other avenues he pursued before taking the discount route.

Another draft email response seeks to reassure the client's legal team. It includes quotes from the internal IT support manual, explaining how data is stored, transmitted and managed within particular regions. It includes a paragraph written in a legal style, that Jason's contact can forward to the legal team to help unblock it. It also offers a video call between the client and Jason's internal council, with a handful of times suggested.

Jason likes this. He tweaks the content, and sends the email. Fortunately the client also has an AI assistant, so the call with legal is immediately booked in both calendars to guarantee it takes place before the deadline.

Next, Jason has a meeting with the engineering team. It is his primary opportunity to provide feedback from clients, and steer the development of the product that he sells. His AI assistant has already written him a report describing limitations in the product, based on all his sales calls and his emails over the past month, including those he had forgotten about. The report includes specific examples and concrete figures of lost revenue, against each feature request. On reading the report, he feels prepared for the meeting and is able to make strong persuasive arguments as to what product priorities should be.

Of course, everyone attending the meeting has prepared in the same way. Jason realizes that there is a lot of overlap between his feedback and those of other account managers in different industries. The product owner is convinced, and makes a decision to develop some of the features suggested by the team. The AI assistant records the minutes, actions and decisions from the meeting, and shares them with everyone immediately afterwards.

That afternoon, Jason needs to prepare for a call with a large potential customer. He uses the AI knowledge base and asks "What have their last 5 financial statements said about IT investment?" and "Has this client seen any large changes in leadership this year?". The AI assistant summarizes hundreds of pages of documents in a few short paragraphs to help him prepare.

Next, Jason loads up a simulated persona of the person he is due to speak with. They are a VP of operations, and from their LinkedIn, they have a focus on security and compliance. An AI persona, configured to match the potential customer, then quizzes Jason at length on penetration tests and ISO27001, allowing him to refresh his memory and prepare for the call later that day.

With his AI assistant, Jason doesn’t feel like a new employee. With reports written for him, draft emails for him to select from, and analysis of financial statements of financial companies, he feels like an executive. At no point is Jason undermined by his AI or put at risk by it - he owns his decisions, and instructs the AI on the work it should do, allowing him to focus on understanding his customers, building relationships, and solving problems.

AI is redefining the workplace

You might be reading this and thinking it sounds like science fiction, but the truth is many of these capabilities are already available in some form today or are closer than you think. The future workplace isn't just about adopting new technologies; it's about redefining how we engage with our environment and each other. We’re looking at a world where every employee and visitor interact seamlessly with intelligent systems that not only enhance efficiency but also create more meaningful experiences.

In the visitor management industry, this means crafting spaces where interactions are intuitive, security is paramount, and everyone feels welcomed. At Sign In App, we’ve always viewed technology as an enabler, so we’re naturally excited to explore the ways visitor and employee experience can be enhanced.

The Sign In App labs are buzzing with possibilities, with many developments already underway. But like our previous AI-powered releases such as Identity Match and smart messaging, it’s important to us that every feature we deliver for our community truly adds value to the Sign In App experience. We are excited to be part of this transformation, where technology and human connection come together to create workplaces that are more dynamic, responsive, and inclusive than ever before. The future is bright, and we're ready to help shape it.