The latest instalment of Pearson’s Skills Outlook series shows the huge potential of Generative AI to perform routine job tasks, boosting workplace productivity, saving time, and freeing up workers to play to their human strengths.
Key takeaways:
- Pearson's Skills Outlook report identifies the top 10 job tasks that could be performed by Generative AI (GAI) in five countries: Australia, Brazil, India, UK, and US.
- In the US alone, GAI could help US workers save 78 million hours a week by 2026. Time that could be reallocated to high-value human work and improving work/life balance.
- Employers should analyse which routine job tasks GAI could effectively perform and consider how to incorporate this technology into their business.
Pearson is a leader in using AI to help employers better understand how AI technology can benefit their workforce. For this Skills Outlook instalment, data from our workforce planning platform helped us understand the top 10 job tasks that could be performed by GAI in five countries.
We found that workers could save millions of hours every week by 2026. Hours traditionally spent on routine and repetitive tasks that fill up their day. Things like presenting research, record keeping, and data collection.
And what could people do with all these extra hours? They could reallocate their time to focus on the high value work that humans do best, like strategic thinking, customer service, caring for others, decision making, innovation, problem solving, empathy, and leadership. With burnout running high, it could also help workers feel more in control of their job and achieve a better work life balance.
Our research shows it’s time for employers to plan for the future. GAI has the potential to boost productivity and improve both the customer and employee experience.
Digging into specific job tasks
Using the US as an example, we found GAI can help save the following time each week:
- Lesson and syllabus planning: GAI could save US workers nearly 3m hours a week developing educational programs and plans. What could educators use this time for? Classroom instruction, tutoring, and more 1:1 time with students.
- Assessing student performance: GAI could save US workers an additional 1.7m hours assessing student performance. Pearson has already built AI-powered tools into Higher Education products to flag struggling students. What could educators use this time for? More time with students who need extra help.
- Maintaining medical records: In Pearson’s textbook, ‘The AI revolution in Medicine’ 51% of nurses cite paperwork as a source of burnout at work. AI could save US workers 3.6m hours maintaining medical records. What could medical professionals use this time for? More hands-on patient care.
- Maintaining knowledge: IT professionals need to keep up with the latest tech developments. GAI could save US workers 3.1m hours spent searching for the right training videos or programs. What could IT professionals use this time for? More time spent learning the actual skills.
- Preparing legal documents: GAI could save US workers 1.7m hours preparing legal or regulatory documents. What could legal professionals use this time for? Spending more time with clients or advising their company on innovative patents.
On top of business benefits, time saved could also be spent leaving work on time, catching your kid’s football game, making it on time to meet a friend after work, and gaining more control over the blurring lines between work time and home time.
What should employers do now?
Embrace GAI as a tool to enhance productivity. By investing in training and hiring people based on their ability to learn, rather than what they know, you can start to get ahead of the changing nature of skills at work. Provide clear guidelines on the use of GAI and help managers lead by example by using GAI in their own work.
At Pearson, we believe the future of work can be one where people and GAI collaborate to achieve common goals. That’s why we’re on a mission to help employers and employees better understand the future of work, the impact of technology, and the kind of skills they will need to thrive today and tomorrow.
Read the findings in full and head to Faethm by Pearson and find out how we can help you make strategic workforce decisions for the future.