Tampa, FL - More than 100 guests registered for the annual State of the Workforce tackling the hot-topic of artificial intelligence in the workplace. As more industries turn to AI technology, public discussion on how and why it’s used is far from over. Community gatherings like the Chamber’s State of the Workforce serve as a proverbial town square. The September 12th breakfast panel at the University Club brought together partners from academic institutions and the business community. “Building the skills and competencies of our workforce is essential to ensuring Tampa Bay remains competitive,” said Katie Lopez, Vice President of Member Engagement. “This morning we will be discussing how AI technology is impacting education and the business community to ensure there is an adequate supply of qualified individuals to meet our community’s workforce needs and how this technology is reshaping our environment.”
Panelist Ande Johnson, Managing Director for Accenture and Chair of Tampa Bay Tech, described herself as an “AI optimist.” Johnson outlined the positive ways AI is being used to enhance the work of employees, not replace them.
Among the examples she shared was Accenture’s project helping surveyors in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia. “Typically, what happens is the surveying contractors and the utility companies go out and survey the damage. They don’t always have the most qualified people to go out,” when the number of cases far exceeds the number of specialists on staff, she noted. “In two weeks, we (Accenture) were able to create an AI assistant to go out with contractors and help them do those surveys. They were prompted by the AI with questions. ‘Do you see this? Take a picture of that. I see something in that picture. That doesn’t look right. Here’s another question.’ The AI automatically created a list of materials and a work order with these action steps. We reduced time and waste, allowing the homeowner to get the work done much faster.”
One of three subject experts on the panel, Rebecca Arends-Siviglia answered questions on the legal implications of AI usage and what organizations are legally required to do with data specifically collected using AI technology. The Assistant General Council of Moffitt Cancer Center fielded questions that included “What are the positive and negatives for a business collecting this data?” Panelist Mark Koulianos, Assistant Vice President of University Community Partnership at the University of South Florida, focused on how academic institutions are creating a pipeline of talent for the AI workforce. Koulianos also talked about training for companies to upskill current employees and teaching students the soft skills necessary to succeed in the workplace.
Moderating the panel was Meloni Waller, who is in her first year of the Chamber's Minority Empowerment Program. The panelists’ most talked about responses came to questions on industry trends; certifications and programs that can provide on-the-job AI training; and when each panelist was asked to list three priorities for the Tampa Bay business community to ensure a healthy pipeline exists education and the workforce.
All three subject experts were engaged in 1:1 conversation with guests, long after closing remarks.
Hillsborough Community College was the Presenting Sponsor, guests learning about the college’s new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Associate in Arts Degree. Chris Paynter, HCC – Dale Mabry Campus ASD (spell out what that acronym refers to) shared details of the program with the audience. “A student who has an understanding of the underlying algorithms and software technology that’s a part of AI is going to be hirable by any company who uses AI in their products,” said Paynter. “So as your companies go through that learning and development experience of new technologies to improve how you serve your customers, we want to be a partner to you, to help you integrate and build the skilled workforce you need to carry out that implementation.”
Businesses and/or business professionals interested in being a part of the process of fine-tuning the AI degree curriculum, was urged to contact Dr. Brian Mann at HCC. “We have advisory committees for all our workforce-based programs and we’re always looking for community experts to serve on those committees,” explained Mann. “We absolutely rely on feedback and expertise from the business community so that we’re training the employees and future employees on what they’re actually going to be doing at work.”
Also sponsoring the annual State of the Workforce were Feeding Tampa Bay, Suncoast Credit Union and WEHR Constructors, Inc. The State of the Workforce at the University Club in Downtown Tampa was the result of months of planning by the Chamber’s Workforce Development Committee in partnership with local academic institutions and the business community. To learn more, visit Work Redefined online.