Human-driven growth

“Coming up in a working class family, [being] raised with my grandmother, it took a village for us to get me where I am. My experience of working in general has come from the perspective of former sharecroppers, entrepreneurs in [my] family, average nine-to-five workers, [and] public safety officials. I [have] law enforcement family members [and] military family members; I have seen a wide array of professionals within my family. They held various titles. I like to wear multiple hats, because at the end of the day, regardless of title, we have to fill in. My upbringing has influenced what I bring to work. It’s a village, it’s a team effort, and you have to understand how to wear more than one hat.”

AI-driven growth

“The ability to learn through AI makes everything make sense. AI has streamlined the ability to receive information and gives a starting point to go venture out to learn other things … It has helped me tremendously in my learning on the job and off the job … AI didn’t just create itself. It resembles us in our logic. How do we maximize AI and not replace anybody with AI technology? How do we embrace technology to make our jobs and life a lot easier?”

AI vs. Human-driven growth

“We have to continuously adapt as times change. The biggest thing for organizations and businesses and leaders is to emphasize the ability to continuously learn. Be a lifelong learner, continuously adopt technology. That’s going to help [your] business grow even faster or more efficiently. If the business [is] going faster, that means more revenue [and] more opportunities for other people. For those that are stuck [thinking], ‘I don’t need ChatGPT,’ that’s when you become replaceable … You shut yourself off from learning, and I think that’s the first sign of individuals who would not adjust to the times of change too well.

[AI is]  like the [digital] calculator; the calculator changed the game. That was one of the smallest devices ever created, but it made a huge impact for a lot of different people. [AI] could be beneficial to humans as well.”

Human-driven agency

“It really starts with the individual when it comes to responsibility. We’re not in the old world anymore. Degrees are not fully cutting it anymore. You have people with master’s degrees and PhDs looking for jobs, people that are ‘highly skilled’ are superseding people with PhDs now based on their work. It’s the individual’s responsibility to make sure they’re keeping up with the changing times … I’m still learning, but for other people who are locked into their industry, they don’t really see the need to embrace learning anymore. It’s going to have to be personal accountability or personal responsibility, to continue to develop yourself as a professional and as a learner, to adjust as the time goes on, because time waits for nobody. [In] the workforce arena, you have to stay on point, on top of the game, and make sure that you’re indispensable: that you’re recession proof.”

AI-driven agency

“I have my own small company in which I also teach my class how to utilize AI properly, just to be more efficient in what they’re trying to do on a day-to-day basis. I have a portfolio of five active clients now, and [AI]  helps me tremendously when it comes to scaling. [Using AI] is like telling somebody exactly what you’re thinking, and it spit[s] out exactly how you want it. ‘How do you craft the prompt? How did you get more from AI, ChatGPT in particular? How do you consistently ask and get what you want?’”

AI vs. Human-driven agency

“[People] should still feel comfortable that they can still learn something at their own pace. Technology is supposed to support and help you with your job, not replace you .… Learn how to use it and how to maximize the efficiency of how to use AI, [and] how it applies to your day job. If you are a lifelong learner, or would like to learn how the internal things work, [get to] know Google or even ask ChatGPT, ‘How do I learn how to program a code or develop? [How can I be] able to adjust to the times of this industry?’ I could imagine the fear over people, when machines were introduced to a lot of the factories: the potential of being out of work, not having the ability to adjust, or hav[ing] the open mind to continue to learn a new technology. From the conversations I’ve been hearing, a lot of businesses in different industries have started to provide safeguards: AI-usage policy, recommitting to their employees that no technology will take over for their job.”

Human-driven belonging

“I [am at a] loss for words because the humans in my life have helped me transform the way I [think] about myself and adapted to the working environment. Being a STAR [Skilled Through Alternative Routes], I think everybody faces imposter syndrome. Having a really solid network of people around you, to continuously provide guidance, motivation, and inspiration, [helps] get you out of your own way. Shout-out to my family, my friends, my mentees, my mentors, who have all challenged me in their own particular way, whether it’s been in a setting of academia, employment, or even just a casual conversation. Staying on a steady path gets you wherever you want to go, with a team around you. I had some awesome colleagues who have turned to friends throughout the years who have put me underneath their wing.”

AI-driven belonging

“I would like to believe that [leading] entrepreneurs don’t [believe that] because ChatGPT or Gemini [are] here, that it should replace a human being. I would like … to see more commitment to human beings: ‘This is just to help your job, not to replace you from your job.’  We have this mixture [of] generations in the workplace. Whether they’re high in skill with technology or low in skill in technology, I feel like AI can really kind of bridge that gap [across generations] of knowledge [and]  learning.”

AI vs. Human-driven belonging

“I am not concerned [about being replaced by AI] because AI cannot  think outside the box.  I don’t want my chat functionality or my phone call [to be] straight AI. I just had an issue, actually, with [a] bank transaction. The good thing was, I was on the phone with a human, and a human was able to consult with her supervisor, and they were able to think outside the box with the issue that they [were] facing …. AI can bridge a gap, but it still is up to [us] to make sure people belong. A human perspective always leads with compassion, empathy, and a sense of wanting somebody else to become a better version of themselves. Those three things will always be needed in terms of sense of belonging.”