Our Human USP
The increasingly digitalised world of work not only poses growing technical challenges – certain social skills are also more in demand than ever. Yasmin Weiß is an expert in digital education and in our interview she talks about the opportunities this development offers.
Dr. Weiß, digital education is seen as the key to the working world of the future. What does the term actually mean?
In my understanding, digital education enables us to participate responsibly in a digitally networked everyday life – both privately and professionally. In this context, I like to speak of digital top athletes and recreational athletes. Both are needed in Germany to ensure that the digital transformation of the economy and society succeeds. By that I mean both people who have mastered the new technologies at an international world-class level and the broad population that has to stay up to date with the basic digital skills.
Which competences are these specifically?
A basic digital education for all people includes at least a basic understanding of IT and new technological developments, such as artificial intelligence. However, it is essential to enrich these competences with social competences. Even if it sounds paradoxical: the more digitalised the world becomes, the more human we must become and strengthen our social competences. Social competences must be reinterpreted against the background of digitalisation and thus trained anew.
What do you mean by that?
Let's consider an example: Meetings still often take place virtually, many supervisors no longer often meet their employees in person. A social competence like empathy will continue to be important – but digital empathy is becoming more important for virtual cooperation. Even in the virtual space, it is important to recognise: Where is my employee at the moment? What are their needs? Does he still identify with the company? As a manager, I should be able to grasp all this in the virtual world as well, especially in times of many crises. But how can I do that if I see my employees primarily in the virtual world, if I only see a tiny section of the person on the screen, namely only the part from the shirt or blouse collar upwards? But here, too, there are pragmatic ways of registering sensitivities and reacting empathetically accordingly. For example, through short question rounds in the virtual meetings, so-called “emotional check-ins”: Here everyone gets the opportunity to say on the screen how he or she is feeling at the moment. If, for example, an employee regularly complains about exhaustion or stress, it would be time for a personal meeting.
What is the status quo: What is the state of digital education in German companies?
There is still a lot to do. Ultimately, it's about making the workforce fit for the leap into the digital world and enabling them to work successfully with the new technologies.
What is the problem with implementation?
There is often too little acceptance in the companies - both among the decision-makers and the workforce. My credo is always: acceptance, also of new technologies, is always a direct consequence of understanding. That's why digital education is so important. If you don't understand, you won't be able to accept.
Fears certainly play a role here, don't they?
Definitely. People who don't understand what it's all for and what the consequences of new technologies can be, easily develop fears of contact. These fears are further fuelled by the public debate, in which, in my opinion, the argumentation tends to be based on concerns. The concerns are: “Digitalisation destroys jobs.” Or: “Artificial intelligence will make itself independent and at some point take over the tasks that are reserved for us humans after all.” I believe, however, that instead of such concerns we should switch to a positive narrative. It's not about “man against machine”, but about “man with machine”.
„It’s not about “man against machine”, but about “man with machine.“
What specifically might this positive narrative be?
For example, through technology we are in a position to get a better grip on the challenges of our time, such as climate change or energy scarcity. And: we have the chance to delegate certain activities to technologies and thus hopefully one day have enough workers in the areas where people are urgently needed. And ultimately, we have the opportunity to create a more pleasant working environment through the use of technology. After all, many jobs that people still do today are very strenuous or simply boring. But if we use technology, we have the opportunity to focus on higher-value tasks. Tasks that are enjoyable, more satisfying and where we can also reconcile our private and professional lives.
How does Germany compare internationally?
According to studies, we rank behind China and the USA in the field of artificial intelligence. But we have to make an effort and stay on the ball. But we will only get cutting-edge technology if society follows suit. The situation is somewhat different here than in China, for example, where the value system is different and where data protection also plays a subordinate role. But that's precisely why it's important for us that society also educates itself digitally.
How important is it to include different generations in the field of digital education and what could this look like in practice in companies?
First of all, just because someone is a digital native doesn't mean that he or she is automatically digitally competent. I know many younger people who can operate the front end of their apps like a virtuoso, but don't know what happens to their data in the back end. What we do observe, however, is that the younger ones are usually comparatively more experienced in operating certain end devices or software. Precisely because they have grown up with it. In order to pass on knowledge across generations, the model of reverse mentoring has become established in many companies: The older ones impart their experience and industry knowledge to the younger ones – and the younger ones show the older ones how to connect the iPad with the iPhone, for example, and other important tricks.
What do you think of the current developments in artificial intelligence, such as the ChatGPT software? Where can digital education come in, so that we can use such software sensibly or also so that we become aware of its limitations or dangers?
In my opinion, it is enormously important that we develop a constructive-critical attitude. So we should look at the opportunities and ask ourselves: How can we as a team – and by that I definitely mean the team of man and machine – do our work better? But we should also be clear about where the limits are and where we do not want to use this or that technology. Especially in view of ChatGPT, we need to ask ourselves the question: What remains our unique human selling point? Software has already proven us wrong in terms of creativity and shown that artificial intelligence can also be creative. I think the only area in which we will probably always be superior to artificial intelligence is – even if it may sound strange – that we as humans can convey values, appreciation and love. Technology will never be able to do that. For the world of work, this means that artificial intelligence will not take over so quickly wherever we create emotional added value. Instead, with its help, capacities will be freed up for these really important things that are reserved for us humans. And that is good news. •
Interview: Elena Winter
Pictures iStock