AI agents are the next step in the evolution of generative AI, as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently noted. This proclamation followed the news that Nvidia is working to create health care AI agents to handle some tasks traditionally performed by nurses, social workers and nutritionists. These recent reports are signs of a larger movement by businesses to adopt AI more broadly.

Forrester’s May 2024 Artificial Intelligence Pulse Survey indicates that 67% of AI decision-makers say their organization plans to increase investment in generative AI in the coming year.

As AI continues to become a key player in an increasing number of work environments, the next step for learning and development (L&D) professionals is to train people on how to think about, leverage and learn from AI agents.

Establish an AI Committee and Seek Expert Input

The U.S. Department of Labor encourages employers implementing AI to be transparent and collect “genuine input” from workers. Engage your team by starting an internal AI council with stakeholders across the organization who are interested in exploring AI opportunities and identifying tools for improvement. Remember that addressing privacy and security is critical, so include an information technology (IT) worker with InfoSec expertise in the council.

Start by defining the problems you want to solve. Then, find an outside professional with deep AI knowledge to help the committee determine what will drive business value and size up opportunities for automation.

Tap into the Expertise of an AI Partner

Find an experienced AI partner who will work with you to dive deep into the role the AI agent will perform. This process works to train the AI agent. You can also use the deep dive as a learning experience and uncover opportunities to optimize the process for optimal efficiency.

For example, imagine a health care provider and AI expert are working to automate revenue cycle management (RCM). They could revisit successful past claims, analyze why they led to reimbursement and use what they learned to educate employees and train AI models.

Understand and Express that AI will be a Net Positive

Historically, when employers introduce major technology into the workforce, people worry it will replace jobs. A couple of decades ago, there were similar concerns about the internet replacing jobs. Now, the same fears are resurfacing with AI. However, as the World Economic Forum (WEF) notes, the internet comprised 10% of U.S. GDP by 2020. Moreover, the WEF estimates that by 2025, AI will create at least 12 million more jobs than it eliminates, signaling that AI will also be a net positive for society.

Prepare Employees to Work in New Ways

Once an AI agent is trained and running, employees’ roles will most likely evolve. Workers will need to collaborate with their AI agent counterpart to enhance overall effectiveness.

Here’s how to prepare your team for this change:

• Educate employees on how AI agents work and what they do best. AI excels at tasks you could quickly train a human to do, such as repetitive tasks. These tasks are typically ones where companies can define workflows and clearly specify the inputs that drive decisions.
• Explain where humans fit in and can add the most value. Establish frameworks specific for people working with AI agents to guide them in their new roles and effectively apply the technology. Consider adding AI prompt training into your L&D program so people can control and define guardrails for AI for optimal outcomes. Highlight that those who learn to collaborate with AI and enhance its capabilities are best positioned for success.

Start Building Your AI L&D Strategy: a Case Study

Nvidia, an American technology company based in Santa Clara, C.A., is preparing to release AI nurses. And many health care providers are already benefiting from the power of AI. With AI agents, billing and collections organization Behavioral Health increased its payment processing capability by 400% and its automated insurance eligibility processing by 100%.

Leveraging AI agents is especially valuable now since the U.S. labor force, including the health care sector, continues to struggle with a shrinking talent pool. This has left providers stuck in a costly cycle of creating and submitting claims that are frequently denied, then investigating the issues and restarting the claims process. However, AI agents can help health care providers and their teams manage such complex, manually-intensive and error-prone work far more efficiently — and with complete fidelity.

AI is both the present and the future. The question is no longer whether training teams should have AI on their roadmaps — it’s when. If you haven’t gotten started, you’re already behind.

Help your employees understand what’s happening in the industry by sharing, for example, what Nvidia and other tech companies are doing. Explain how AI Aagents can help them do their own jobs better and free them to focus on more meaningful and rewarding work, like providing better experiences for patients.

With the right training, your employees will be better positioned to thrive in the new AI-enabled workplace — and more prepared workers will make for a healthier, more competitive business.