Advanced · Ethics and society · module 146 of 155
AI and work: redistributing tasks
Look at work task by task: what can AI support, what can be automated with a check, and what remains human work?
After this lesson
You break a job down into tasks, choose the role of AI for each task and involve the people who do the work in the choices.
In view · Side by side
Dividing tasks between people and AI
AI makes a first version, a human decides and sends.
Fixed tasks with a clear spot check or review.
Empathy, responsibility and difficult trade-offs.
Part 1 of 3 · AI supports
Your preference for less movement is on. Choose each part yourself.
Look at tasks, not at jobs
AI rarely replaces an entire job, but it does change tasks within a job. So first write down which tasks a job involves: a receptionist welcomes visitors, schedules appointments, answers emails and solves problems. For each task, you can then choose: AI supports with a first draft, AI carries out the task with human oversight, or the task remains human work. That makes the conversation concrete, instead of anxious or exaggerated (lesson 92).
What remains human work
Tasks involving empathy, responsibility or difficult trade-offs stay with people: breaking bad news, mediating a conflict, deciding on someone’s situation (lesson 68). Checking AI work is also human work, and it takes time. Plan that time in. Time that is freed up can go to work with more value, such as personal contact or improving processes. Make explicit where the time goes, otherwise it disappears into extra workload.
Involve the people who do the work
Whoever does a task every day knows where the pitfalls are and where AI really helps. Involve staff in the task analysis and in the pilot (lesson 119). Talk openly about concerns around job security and skills, and provide training, also to support your team’s AI literacy (lesson 116). Record how you will monitor the effects: workload, quality and satisfaction. You build a fair division of tasks together, not with a decision from above.
New practice example
From explanation to a usable result.
AI changes tasks, not whole jobs. For each task, look at what AI can support, what can be automated with checks and what remains human work.
Fictional practice situationFictional: an accountancy firm wants to use AI. An employee mainly does four tasks: entering invoices, answering clients’ questions, discussing year-end accounts with clients and training new staff.
View a possible solution
This is how it can be done
Entering invoices: automatic suggestions, with a check of unusual amounts. Client questions: AI makes a draft, the employee sends it. Discussing year-end accounts: human work, with AI helping with the preparation. Training: human work. The employee themselves points out that checking the anomalies takes more time than expected.
Why this works
The division follows the consequences and how easy the result is to check. The employee’s input makes the assessment realistic.
Make it slightly more difficult
What would you most like to spend the time freed up in your tasks on?
Extra practice, at your own pace. You do not need to submit anything. This does not count towards an automatic assessment.
Your workplace · learning by doing
Make something. See what changes.
Checking the AI connection… You can already view the written example.
Present your assignment to Ende.
Read the answer, change one thing, and compare.
Previously held
New version
You remain in control
What do you want to improve in your next attempt?
On this device only. AI answers remain only in this page memory. This is self-review, not a grade.
Why this approach works
The division follows the consequences and how easy the result is to check. The employee’s input makes the assessment realistic.
A step further
What would you most like to spend the time freed up in your tasks on?
Try & discover · no obligation
Organise meeting notes
Categorise the notes as decision, action or open question. Make missing owners and deadlines visible.
Fictional tasks of a receptionist at a town hall.
- AI supports
- 0
- Automatic
- 0
- Human work
- 0
The classification depends on the consequences for people and on what you can check. Always discuss it with the people who do the work.
This trial works locally with fictitious data and does not count towards your lesson completion. It starts anew with a new lesson or reload.
A prompt to get you started
Help me break down a fictional job, receptionist at a town hall, into tasks. Make a table showing for each task: how often it occurs, and whether AI can support it, can carry it out automatically with a check, or whether the task remains human work, and why. Also name the questions I should ask the staff themselves.
Apply it
After introducing AI drafts for emails, the team measured a time saving of two hours a day. Nobody knows where that time goes, and the workload does not seem to be decreasing.
Which approach best fits this situation?
- Have the team answer more emails, because time has been freed up.
- Ignore the time saving; measuring is too much work.
- Discuss with the team where the time goes, agree what work it is used for and monitor workload and quality.
With JavaScript, you can check your approach and receive immediate feedback.
Test your insight
A management team wants to use AI to “make customer service more efficient”. What is a good first step?
- Introduce a chatbot straight away and reduce the team.
- Map the tasks together with the staff and choose the role of AI for each task.
- Wait until other organisations have tried it.
Extra practice
Break down your own job, or a job you know, into eight tasks. Choose the role of AI for each task and discuss the breakdown with someone who does that work.
Answering emails with standard questions: AI supports with a draft, the staff member sends it. Sending appointment confirmations: automatically based on the calendar, with a weekly spot check. Welcoming and referring visitors: human work. Dealing with an angry citizen: human work. Time freed up: more time for citizens who need help with an application.
