Orla Daly leverages her IT and digital transformation expertise to drive business growth in Skillsoft. She has previously worked for companies such as ExxonMobil, EMC, and Dell, where she led major IT transformations and integration projects. At National Grid, she managed US customer service technology.

In a recent conversation with the Global Woman Leader Magazine, Orla discusses how generative AI is shaping digital work culture, presenting opportunities and challenges. She highlights leveraging GenAI for immediate value and long-term improvements while navigating ethical considerations like data privacy, bias mitigation, and transparency in innovation.

Having more than two decades of experience in the industry, how do you see the role of artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI (GenAI), shaping the future of digital work culture, and what opportunities or challenges does it present for organizations today?

GenAI has the potential to dramatically increase productivity by automating routine tasks that enable individuals to focus on more strategic work. Additionally, organizations can provide an improved employee experience with personalization in communications and targeted learning, making it easier for team members to access information to be effective in their roles.

However, GenAI is a tool that requires education and oversight. This is both to ensure the workforce is enabled to leverage the technology effectively, responsibly, and ethically. This certainly creates new challenges for organizations in determining how to encourage innovation while ensuring appropriate guardrails to manage bias, hallucinations or data privacy concerns. It will also shift the dynamic for those entering the workforce, where routine tasks previously assigned to those with less experience are now automated, requiring us to rethink upskilling with a focus on leveraging AI to execute a task with greater efficiency.

With your track record of managing multi-faceted strategic programs, could you provide examples of how GenAI could be leveraged to deliver immediate value and longer-term foundational improvements in business operations?

Some examples of where immediate value can be gained through improved productivity include automated content generation, personalized communications, and sentiment analysis (summing up large volumes of free text for key messaging). Medium- to longer-term wins will vary depending on the quality of the underlying data and how defined the work processes are. Some examples include virtual agents and chatbots for customer support or internal service desks, resume screening, demand forecasting, data analysis and insights based on unobstructed data. Even with imperfect data, significant gains can be made by leveraging GenAI, allowing you to gain near-term benefits while investing to drive further benefits in the long term. However, keeping a human in the loop remains vital for any of these examples.

As an experienced facilitator in defining and operationalizing governance and support models across business functions, how should professionals incorporate GenAI into frameworks to enhance efficiency and decision-making processes?

Gen AI tools allow you to scan multiple data sources quickly and extract key metrics or themes to facilitate more effective decision-making. In more advanced scenarios, you can set up automated alerts based on model predictions, allowing you to focus where needed when it's relevant. Leveraging GenAI allows you to quickly access examples of frameworks or key components to consider in a consolidated fashion versus doing a traditional internet search and having to piece together various results to get to what you need. Additionally, the interactive nature of refining results through more specific prompts is far more efficient to get the desired results.

What strategies must leaders use to navigate the ethical considerations surrounding the deployment of AI technologies, particularly in areas such as data privacy, bias mitigation, and transparency, while still driving innovation and business value?

It’s ultimately about providing knowledge and guardrails to support responsible innovation and application. It should start with having a corporate policy on expectations around AI that underlines the importance of responsible and ethical use – list the dos and don’ts. This policy needs to be well communicated and brought to life with examples of potential pitfalls. This is a new and evolving area, so it’s easy for team members to get tripped up, so reminders and reinforcement are key. Leaders can also consider establishing AI Councils or AI Ethics Committees that can support the larger organization as subject matter experts. Equipping employees with where to go with a question or concern on bias, transparency or data privacy will allow for innovation to flow within a supported framework.

With the rapid advancements in AI technologies, how do we stay abreast of emerging trends and ensure that an organization remains agile and adaptable in leveraging these technologies for competitive advantage?

Creating a culture of continuous learning, fostering curiosity, and creating an environment where employees can experiment as part of their learning journey will be essential. As leaders, we need to make space for learning and experimentation, expect a certain level of failure, and create reinforcing mechanisms to encourage responsible experimentation that supports business goals. Tying learning and experimentation back to business priorities is vital to maximize resource leverage but also as employee engagement increases significantly when there is a clear connection between one’s work and the company purpose, and we all know more engaged employees drive better business outcomes.

As a woman leader, what do you believe will be the role of women leaders in shaping the strategic direction of organizations in the era of GenAI, and how can their unique perspectives and experiences contribute to driving innovation and growth?

According to McKinsey, up to 30% of hours worked could be automated by 2030, boosted by GenAI, leading to millions of required occupational transitions. There are many similar stats on the impact of GenAI on work as we know it, and irrespective of what you believe, it presents an opportunity for women to showcase their adaptability and resilience, and drive improved business outcomes, increasing their value to an organization. By taking proactive steps—pursuing education, leveraging their unique strengths, advocating for inclusivity, and supporting each other—women can shape an AI-driven future that is equitable, ethical, and beneficial for all.