Your Company Is Introducing AI. What Should Employees Do?

Your employer announces plans to introduce AI into your department, with leadership emphasizing how the technology will improve efficiency and productivity. Employees are left wondering how their responsibilities will change, what they'll be expected to learn, and whether those improvements could eventually affect staffing. Even if leadership hasn't finalized its implementation plans, employees need some clarity about what to expect.

Understand Why Your Organization Is Implementing AI

When Anirudh Bajaj, author of Indispensable: Your Career Guide for the Age of AI, joined me on Control Your Career, we discussed why implementing AI can be more complicated than organizations initially expect.

Organizations pursuing cost reductions may use AI to restructure responsibilities or reduce staffing, while those focused on growth may invest in technology that helps employees expand services or improve existing products.

Organizations with outdated systems, inconsistent workflows, or poorly managed information may need to address those problems before employees can use AI effectively, potentially increasing workloads during implementation.

When AI Exposes Existing Organizational Problems

Organizations that have accumulated years of documents across internal systems without consistently managing access permissions may discover security problems when they introduce AI. Depending on how the tools are configured, employees could retrieve sensitive information that was previously difficult to locate, exposing weaknesses in the organization's existing data management practices.

During our conversation, I questioned how organizations might handle the friction these discoveries create, particularly when employees have previously raised concerns about inefficient processes or inadequate systems. Addressing those problems can create additional work during implementation, especially when employees are expected to maintain their existing responsibilities.

If leadership expects immediate productivity improvements without accounting for that additional work, employees may face unrealistic expectations. Organizations need to evaluate their existing processes and provide appropriate support as they introduce new technology.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Generative AI Risk Management Framework provides information about the risks organizations should consider when implementing AI systems.

Four Questions to Ask Your Manager

Even if you aren't involved in implementation decisions, you can ask your manager how the changes will affect your responsibilities and expectations.

1. Which responsibilities are expected to change? Ask what processes will involve AI, which activities employees will continue handling, and whether responsibilities will be added or reassigned.
2. How will performance expectations change? If AI reduces the time required for certain tasks, clarify whether employees will be expected to increase output, take on additional responsibilities, or use that capacity for other priorities.
3. What training and guidance will employees receive? Find out which tools are approved, what information can be shared, and who is responsible for reviewing AI-generated work.
4. How can employees raise concerns or recommend improvements? People performing the work often recognize problems that aren't apparent during initial planning, so there should be a way to communicate those observations.

Your manager may not have complete answers immediately, especially if the organization is still determining how to implement the technology. However, discussing these questions can help you identify what remains undecided and when you should expect additional information.

Evaluate How the Changes Are Being Managed

As implementation progresses, pay attention to whether employees receive adequate training, whether expectations are adjusted as problems emerge, and how leadership responds when concerns are raised.

If a tool creates additional work or produces unreliable information, document specific examples and explain how those problems affect the process. This gives your manager something concrete to address and helps clarify whether the difficulty comes from the technology, the existing workflow, or how implementation is being managed.

Changes in staffing, responsibilities, and organizational priorities may also influence your longer-term career decisions. If those developments raise concerns about your position, consider what options are available within the organization and whether preparing for a possible career move makes sense.

You won't have control over every implementation decision, but you can ask questions, communicate concerns, and evaluate whether the changes support your longer-term career goals.

For more on organizational AI adoption and the challenges employers face, listen to my conversation with Ani Bajaj on Control Your Career: https://www.ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ai-jobs-future-of-work-anirudh-bajaj

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by Anirudh Bajaj in this episode are his own and do not represent those of Microsoft or his employer. He is appearing in a personal capacity.

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Julia Toothacre, MS, is a career coach, strategist, and founder of Ride The Tide Collective. Through her Control Your Career methodology, she helps experienced professionals navigate career challenges, evaluate their options, and make informed decisions grounded in their individual circumstances, priorities, and goals.