With the fast pick-up of AI technologies in today’s world of work we have no time to sit back and wait. In line with increased attention for lifelong learning, and the widely recognized need to mobilize people and prepare them for today’s challenges we are urgently in need of “AI Polymaths”; people who know how AI technologies are developed, implemented and managed in organization such that human expertise is being strengthened, rather than dismayed, overruled or neglected. With the Impact Explorer Grant, the AIKNOW researchers from the KIN Center for Digital Innovation will set up and pilot a professional learning program that brings developers, managers and users together in the (virtual) classroom where they are collectively prepared for the new joint fields of practice.
About the AIKNOW research
The AIKNOW, an NWO funded Open Competition project, follows AI from development in the lab to its use on the work floor. The team, consisting of Marleen Huysman, Ella Hafermalz, Anastasia Sergeeva, Tomislav Karacic, Mario de Sosa and Anne Mayer, has studied AI development and its use in organizational contexts for over four years. In analyzing the research outcomes of our ongoing ethnographic studies two unexpected outcomes were revealed:
Firstly, traditional notions of collaboration are insufficient to describe the level of coordination required for effective AI implementation. Traditionally, there were clear lines between those who created technology (developers) and those who used it (users). However, with AI, these lines are blurring. This is because AI systems can learn and adapt on their own, which means that the process of creating and using them becomes intertwined. This blurring of boundaries challenges traditional ways of developing technology, which typically involves developers talking to experts in a particular field to understand their needs. With AI, this process is more fluid and continuous.
Secondly, the researchers examine the idea of "boundary spanning," which is when people from different groups work together to share knowledge. While this has been seen as beneficial in many cases, with AI, it's not always effective. In fact, having intermediaries between developers and users can sometimes create more barriers, especially with AI systems that are complex and difficult to understand. To harness the potential of AI in knowledge work, there's a need to empower individuals to develop new collaborative practices.
Together with practitioners who are involved in AI development and AI use, the new program will train professionals as AI Polymaths capable of co-producing data, co-explaining AI, and co-deploying AI.
About the Impact Explorer grant
The grant is provided by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and is intended for the exploration of opportunities for societal impact arising from curiosity-driven research. These are opportunities and ideas that were not anticipated in advance when the project plan was made, but have emerged during the lifetime of a project. More information on the NWO website.