How can AI support workplace decision-making?

Can AI tech empower people to make informed, thought-out decisions and aid professional growth?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is by no means foolproof. The events of the last couple of weeks, amid the somewhat disastrous launch of OpenAI’s GPT-5, are evidence enough of that. It can however, be used as a powerful aid that transforms your work, provided you approach it responsibly and with realistic expectations. 

With that in mind, there are a number of ways modern-day employees can utilise artificial intelligence to optimise their work and make smarter, more informed decisions, with a depth of insight. Here is how. 

Clarity

For many people, when it comes to making professional decisions, either in terms of your work or personal choices that might impact your career, the reason it may be difficult to come to a decision is that it all seems a little unclear.

One of AI’s – and more specifically, ChatGPT’s – defining characteristics is that it can break down incredibly complex information and relay it to the user in a far more relatable and simple way. 

For example, if you are querying whether you should apply for a new role internally, but the specs of the job have you unsure if you are the right fit, you could input them into ChatGPT, ask it to break down what your responsibilities might be and suggest the skills that most lend themselves to the position.

You could also detail your own skills, current role, ambitions and the areas in which you show promise, to give the AI-powered programme the information it needs to ascertain the likelihood of whether you would be a decent fit or not. 

Depersonalisation 

Because the workplace is a professional space that demands professionalism from all, sometimes, when you are struggling to make a decision that will impact your work life, it can begin to feel as though there is an unwanted personal element. For example, if you are trying to decide how to manage a difficult colleague, or if you are deliberating sharing less than stellar feedback with someone in a leadership position. 

When you are at the centre of a tough decision, especially one where there is the potential to cause real-world stress, your mind can start to feel incredibly overwhelmed. AI and its lack of sentience can offer a calm, cool, collected and clinical response to what is an emotional situation.  

As a neutral sounding board it can allow you to see the bigger picture and lay out several paths towards achieving your desired goal, while causing minimal disruption. 

Provided you remove as much of your own personal influence as possible, it can help you come to a conclusion that you’re confident with, or in turn it could suggest alternatives. 

The numbers game

Some decisions are easy to make and others are harder to settle on. ChatGPT and similar AI-powered technologies can be helpful in scenarios where a decision needs to be reached but you could use some help identifying or quantifying patterns, trends and statistics. 

As it’s capable of deep analysis and generating a response in relation to a given topic, AI can be an absolute game-changer if you are looking to back up your argument using data or additional insights and can even give you an edge if you are called upon to defend your decision.   

Not everyone is going to agree in the workplace and even if you present your points well, you may still be told that the decision you have reached is different to the choice that others would have made. 

However, by having the ability to support your decision-making process using key insights and data, you not only show that you have a number of hard and soft skills, but it is also an indication that despite the outcome, you care about your job and place within the organisation.

Responsible usage

When it comes to actually benefitting from AI and its ability to support decision-making, as with every new technology, at the end of the day the power lies with the user. If you use AI for good, taking into account its many flaws and the potential risks, you also leave yourself open to embracing what is great about artificial intelligence. 

And that is its potential to encourage positive digital transformation, empower upskilling and make the working day significantly easier for everyone, from the entry-level positions all the way up to those in leadership roles. 

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