The MSP Success Thought Leaders Program invites leaders
in the small business IT/MSP industry
to share their insights and advice with MSP Success readers.
Unless you have been under a rock for the last couple of years, you have undoubtedly heard of The Great Resignation. Since the COVID pandemic, large numbers of employees have opted to no longer continue in the workforce, at least in the traditional sense. This was driven by a change in the perception of what was considered worthwhile from the employees’ perspective in terms of a job and the related compensation. Unemployment benefits and COVID stimulus payments provided for some additional income during the pandemic and, all in all, this culminated in many employees changing their outlook and perspective on whether they wanted to continue in a traditional job and employment relationship.
I was fortunate enough to hear Mike Rowe (from Dirty Jobs/Deadliest Catch/Mike Rowe Works Foundation) speak at a local college and he highlighted the fact that there are approximately 10 million job openings in the U.S. right now and 7.5 million able-bodied workers aged 24-54 who are actively choosing to sit out of the workforce.
Every industry is lamenting the fact that finding qualified, willing, and able workers continues to be a huge challenge.
However, the pendulum is starting to swing when it comes to the job market, and the fusion of AI and automation is the catalyst. As we move from The Great Resignation to The Great Automation, the question is, how can we as MSP business owners take advantage of the technology and get a jump-start on putting it to work for ourselves and our customers?
The Great Automation
ChatGPT, IBM Watson, and dozens of other machine learning and large language model (LLM) technologies have exploded on the scene with incredible capabilities that seem to be expanding overnight. It’s now hitting the mainstream where businesses are taking notice. Businesses have always wanted to drive efficiency, and that’s where technology can bring great benefits. AI is about to dump truckloads of gas onto that fire and accelerate automation beyond what many can even imagine.
What’s even more interesting is the pace at which this is transpiring; it’s unlike anything we’ve experienced, at least in our lifetime. AI and automation could potentially address the bottleneck and crunch we have all been experiencing in the current workforce shortage in the very near future.
In our industry, ChatGPT and AI technologies could potentially reduce the amount of workforce required for redundant tasks such as data analytics, customer support, and data entry. Imagine being able to call into a customer service number and, instead of having to wait on hold to get to a representative who may or may not be interested in helping you, you can utilize an AI-driven interface that can provide you the information and take action within seconds. Those type of instances are going to be a reality VERY soon based upon the pace at which this technology is developing.
Within the last six months, there have been some incredible enhancements becoming available that illustrate how AI is going to dramatically change the workplace in the coming years. The IT support space is seeing this roll out quickly with the automation of end-user service tickets that previously required a technician to address issues. With AI, many of those requests can be resolved without any intervention from a technical resource, and the resolution is being provided in a more consistent and expedited manner.
Are There Concerns?
The rapid rise of this technology also carries with it some legitimate concerns. Could AI technology be developed with a certain political, social, or economic bias? Absolutely!! Could this technology develop capabilities beyond our current thinking model that could have a negative impact on our society? Absolutely!! Could this technology reduce the ability of the workforce to drive value and the related personal income potential? Absolutely!! In fact, over 1,000 top technical leaders signed a letter published by the Future of Life Institute in March 2023 asking for a pause in development of AI technologies for at least six months to understand better the risks, caveats, and concerns around this technology. If the top technical leaders feel this way, it is a safe bet that there are some technical concerns that should be factored in.
There’s also the concern that AI in the wrong hands could be exponentially more dangerous since so much can be done without oversight. Threat actors are already taking advantage of these technologies today for malicious purposes. Therefore, safeguards will need to be put in place to mitigate this risk.
What Should You Do?
Regardless of whether you are excited or dreading automation and AI, the reality is it will impact just about all areas of our lives and businesses. The challenge is taking advantage of it while respecting the potential impacts as well.
For starters, think through your organization’s workflow and look for tasks you can automate. Failure to do so may put you at a competitive disadvantage.
Also keep in mind that while automation and AI are exciting, technology of any type implemented incorrectly carries very real and detrimental outcomes. Make sure you understand the scope of what is being implemented, what the risks are if abused or used incorrectly, and develop some safeguards around those.
One thing is certain, though. AI and automation are pushing the workforce shortage pendulum with exponential force. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue working to attract and retain the right talent for our teams, because the A players are hard to find and worth their weight in gold. But at the same time, we should explore the potential of filling the hiring gaps by leveraging AI and automation. If we thoughtfully and carefully go down this path, we stand to take advantage and lead the way for the business of the future.
