'Those failing to leverage artificial intelligence and generate value through it will fall behind,' says a top professor visiting Jyväskylä

"Those failing to leverage artificial intelligence and generate value through it will fall behind," says a top professor visiting Jyväskylä

Professor Viswanath Venkatesh, one of the world's leading researchers in information systems, visited Jyväskylä to talk about the effects of digitalization on working life, among other things. Venkatesh visited Jyväskylä as a guest of Professor Tuure Tuunanen.

Working at Virginia Tech, Venkatesh is collaborating with Tuunanen's group on a project that studies the use of smart rings, such as the Oura Ring, in service of fitness goals within the context of work life.

Technologies have changed, but the reasons for adoption remain the same

During his 30-year career, Venkatesh has studied the reasons behind technology adoption, obstacles to technology implementation, and the positive and negative effects of technology use.

He says that even though technologies and the world have changed rapidly, the theories explaining technology adoption have remained surprisingly unchanged.

"Across different technologies and eras, the same factors have influenced and continue to influence their adoption, such as perceived benefits, ease of use, and social pressure," Venkatesh says.

The biggest changes have been in how widely technology is used today, both at work and in leisure time, and how it has blurred the line between work and free time.

"There have been major changes in work life, such as the idea of constant availability and the spread of remote working. These changes bring work and personal life closer together and can also undermine the balance between work and private life," Venkatesh explains.

But the changes aren't all bad, because technology has also made work more productive and given people more freedom to work in ways that suit them.

Venkatesh also believes that future generations may take more responsibility for their own well-being and also demand a better work-life balance.

Artificial intelligence will fundamentally change our society

Like many scholars and industry leaders, Venkatesh also highlights generative AI as a major technological change.

"At the moment, we are still in a pre-paradigm phase with regard to artificial intelligence, where we do not have an established understanding of what role artificial intelligence will play in society. What is certain, however, is that artificial intelligence will change work life, education, and our society at large," says Venkatesh.

According to Venkatesh, artificial intelligence will not only speed up and streamline processes, but also change entire operating models and how we function in working life and society.

Venkatesh believes that artificial intelligence will transform society as a whole. It will change the nature of work and working hours and challenge traditional notions of teamwork and organizational dynamics. Venkatesh talks about collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence as a team member.

"The rapid arrival of artificial intelligence naturally brings challenges, such as increased workload and skills obsolescence. Those who know how to use artificial intelligence and generate value with it will succeed. Those who don't may be left behind," Venkatesh explains.

Overall, Venkatesh is positive about the future and believes that skills renewal and retraining will play a key role in the adoption of artificial intelligence and other new technologies.

Professor Viswanath Venkatesh from Virginia Tech has visited the University of Jyväskylä twice. On both occasions, he was a guest of Professor Tuure Tuunanen and gave presentations on the effects of digitalisation on work life, particularly in the context of the evolving workplace.

Tuure Tuunanen