The week's developments on automation & the workplace, explained | 5.02.24

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In the AI-driven job market, soft skills — like communication and empathy — are becoming increasingly vital. A recent study identified over 500 roles at risk due to AI, including jobs in software development and finance. However, roles rooted in social and emotional skills were less likely to be automated. Will the rise of AI spark a soft skills surge in the workplace? 

Elsewhere today, AI in recruitment might be inadvertently filtering out top talent. AI tools at work are enhancing job satisfaction for workers and major tech companies are streamlining operations in favour of AI development — so far 34,000 jobs have been cut this year.

These stories and more below.

CogX Must Reads

Top Stories

💼 Using AI improves job satisfaction, survey finds. Over 59% of interviewed senior leaders claimed AI had a positive effect on their job’s satisfaction, with 30% citing a significant impact on work processes. Can AI become a catalyst for more gratifying work? (Tech.co)

🧑‍💼 The demand for human-centric skills such as empathy and communication is surging. Success in an AI-driven workplace, experts say, may hinge on nurturing people’s skills and social abilities. (Sounds familiar? A recent study found that jobs requiring social and emotional intelligence were less likely to be automated)

🤖 AI is costing some workers their dream jobs. Tech companies are increasingly relying on AI-driven hiring tools – but despite efforts to eliminate biases, the technology may be inadvertently filtering out highly qualified candidates from the recruitment pool. (BBC)

Future of the Office

🧑‍💻️ Healthy work-life balance tops UK workers' list of priorities in 2024. A majority of UK workers prefer work-life balance to higher pay, with 61% valuing flexibility and personal wellness over getting promoted in both their current and future jobs. Over 71% responded that work-life balance was their top priority when looking for a new job. (HR Grapevine)

🏦 Germany’s largest lender orders managers to office four days a week. Despite initially endorsing remote work's productivity gains, Deutsche Bank has reversed its work-from-home policy — banning employees from working at home consecutively on a Friday followed by a Monday. (Bloomberg)

AI & Automation

🧑‍💼️ AI-driven layoffs escalate as over 4,600 white-collar jobs are cut in the last 9 months. Experts warn that AI's impact mirrors past automation trends, with significant impacts expected in managerial and knowledge-based roles. (WSJ)

🤖 Tech firms slash 34,000 jobs focusing on AI investment and efficiency. Since the beginning of the year, Microsoft, Snap, eBay and PayPal have each scrapped thousands of jobs. Experts say the recent layoffs show companies are reallocating resources to prioritise investments in emerging areas like generative AI. (Financial Times)

Productivity Boosters

 Check out this week's top AI tools to supercharge your productivity

	Map This instantly converts PDFs into shareable mind maps to simplify document analysis and information synthesis.   Key features:  Upload PDF documents Auto-generate structured mind maps Export maps as PNG or SVG                                               Pricing Model: Freemium
	Make With AI provides an all-in-one toolkit to accelerate building and launching AI SaaS apps with pre-built components for APIs, UI, payments, notifications, and more.   Key features:  Comprehensive AI SaaS startup kit Refined code samples for OpenAI API Prebuilt UI components and templates                                                        Pricing Model: Paid
	Boxletters makes managing overwhelming inboxes effortless with AI for daily recaps, one-click unsubscribes, and smart warm introductions.   Key features:  AI-powered email management Daily recap of important inbox items One-click email list unsubscribing                                       Pricing Model: Not disclosed

In case you missed it

AI stands at the crossroads of revolutionising humanity's future, promising unparalleled knowledge expansion and creative evolution — but can we ensure its ethical integration into the very fabric of society?

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