Three years ago, Cisco piloted an AI agent designed to analyze employee communications and diagnose the root causes of workplace conflict. It never made it out of the test phase.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why? \u201cWe believe that\u2019s a conversation that a leader needs to have,\u201d said Francine Katsoudas, Cisco\u2019s chief people, policy, and purpose officer, at the Fortune COO Summit<\/a> last week. \u201cThere can be insights that you decide not to scale, but that was a great test for us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The question of where humans provide value\u2014and when AI should step in\u2014was a central debate at the summit<\/a>. It\u2019s one that comes at a time when 93% of jobs are already impacted by AI, and 30% are now facing existential change, according to new Cognizant research<\/a>. The firm\u2019s researchers initially predicted this threshold would come in 2032, but it\u2019s now here six years ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n And the much-publicized narrative that blue-collar jobs are safe from AI disruption is no longer true<\/a>, said Ollie O\u2019Donoghue, Cognizant\u2019s head of research.\u00a0<\/p>\n Take a plumber, for example. \u201cYou\u2019ll still need someone to turn the wrench, no doubt, but the actual process of plumbing and the value that\u2019s added will change a little bit,\u201d O\u2019Donoghue said, as tasks from diagnosis to paperwork could increasingly be reshaped by AI.<\/p>\n Cognizant found those in the construction business received a 12% exposure score, or the degree to which an occupation could be affected by AI\u2014up from 4% three years ago. CEOs and those in the C-suite received a 60% exposure score, up from 25%.<\/p>\n But this doesn\u2019t mean we should blindly turn over these easily disrupted tasks to AI. Lattice CEO Sarah Franklin said strict governance of AI agents is key.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t just let any person into your home, talk to your children, eat your food, sleep in your bed. You ask them who they are and why they\u2019re there,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s the same thing with our work. We don\u2019t just let any AI in. We need to have clear guidelines and clear guardrails around what happens when you bring AI into a company.\u201d<\/p>\n P.S. Later this summer, we\u2019ll be publishing our third annual list of the 100 Most Powerful People in Business. Think you know someone who should make the list? Nominate them here<\/a>! You can also learn more about our methodology and see last year\u2019s list<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kristin Stoller Around the Table<\/p>\n A round-up of the most important HR headlines.<\/p>\n Pressure to look young in the workplace has led to a mini-boom of lunch-break Botox. Financial Times<\/a><\/p>\n The mid-career stall is real: One in four workers are going years without pay or position boosts. Wall Street Journal<\/a><\/p>\n KPMG UK is reversing a COVID-era policy that let employees leave early on Fridays over the summer. Bloomberg<\/a><\/p>\n Watercooler<\/p>\n Everything you need to know from Fortune.<\/p>\n Hiring nightmare. New research suggests remote work<\/a> may be the reason why Gen Z isn\u2019t getting jobs. \u2014Tristan Bove<\/p>\n Drawing Gen Z. This data center CEO is pushing for a skilled-trade revival by offering two weeks<\/a> of vacation on day one. \u2014Preson Fore<\/p>\n
Editorial Director, Fortune Live Media
kristin.stoller@fortune.com<\/a><\/p>\n