Abstract
At our recent annual WORK Editorial Board meeting, a member suggested that we reach out to the public to see how they are using artificial intelligence (AI) in their work. I accepted this idea and posted the following on my social media platforms: “I am writing an editorial for WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation on AI and work. I’m curious to know how you’re integrating AI into your daily work. Please share your experiences in 150 words or less with me.”
I received multiple responses and categorized them into three themes: productivity, clinical application, and research. I thought I would share some illustrations of each.
Scribe: “I use AI to transcribe meetings and interviews in real-time, converting spoken words into written text”.
General writing tasks: “I can check grammar using AI tools like Grammarly and use Photoshop-like features to edit pictures”. “I use AI to create case studies and write references”. “I use it to generate a list of initial ideas when I am asked to write professional opinions in social networks”.
Diagnosis: “AI algorithms analyze complex data for me with higher accuracy”.
Evaluation of images or data: “Computer vision used in KorroAI helps me to objectively analyze children’s skills”.
Customized training: “Physio students in my cohort were using AI for training simulation before first training placements with real patients. I thought this was a brilliant way to build confidence and gain exposure to multiple realistic situations before the pressure of placement”.
Creation of new research topic summaries: “I use AI tools to scan and summarize vast amounts of literature to create concise overviews of new research topics”. “I teach my occupational therapy students to use generative artificial intelligence to create research ideas. I do this by using more than one AI to compare results by identifying their mistakes and strengths”.
Simultaneous, robust analysis of a wide range of data types: “I write code for work. I use AI to analyze errors”. “I use machine learning algorithms to process and analyze diverse datasets simultaneously for insights”.
Image analysis: “AI analyzes images to help me identify patterns and anomalies”.
Research study design: “I use AI for help in designing experiments by predicting outcomes and identifying variables”.
Literature review: “AI reads through thousands of documents quickly to provide summaries and insights from existing literature for me”.
The Sounding Board article, AI in the workplace: A sustainability-focused contemplation of the ILO slogan for 2024 co-authored by Mario Caterino, Saeedeh Mosaferchi, and Alireza Mortezapour provides insightful applications of AI in the workplace such as improving accident prediction, facilitating the promotion of safety culture, the prevention of injuries caused by work equipment, facilitating the management of safety trends, the prevention of fatigue, stress and related risks, and smart personal protective equipment. They stress that “prominent challenges [with AI] include safeguarding privacy, ensuring data security, among others, necessitating a comprehensive examination”. The authors poise the following question for all of us to consider: “ . . . is AI truly advantageous for occupational health and safety? Or do the potential drawbacks (as a non-sustainable technology) outweigh the benefits?” I challenge you to reflect on this question and share your thoughts with us.
As I reflect on AI and work, it was the catalyst for the selection of this issue’s Editor’s Choice paper, Wisdom-oriented coping capacities at work in challenging times authored by Anke Sondhof and Beate Muschalla. The authors write,
“Wisdom is required for not getting discouraged or embittered under life problems, but looking forward in a solution-oriented way, and making appropriate decisions in dilemma situations. Wisdom is a coping capacity for everyday as well as major life problems”.
I believe that wisdom is essential when deciding to use AI in our work life. It should be our “thought partner” in the various tasks that compose work, but the choice in how and when it is used requires wisdom.
I hope you are enjoying our Learn at WORK podcast episodes. Each monthly podcast episode provides a snapshot into the career of an author who has published in WORK or is an Editorial Board member. Learn more about WORK on our website: https://workjournal.org/.
With appreciation,
Founding Editor,
Occupational therapist & ergonomist
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