In today's rapidly evolving world, artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming business at an unprecedented pace. As the co-founder of Success Programme, a consulting firm that guides companies through Big Change and its management, I am always excited about the impact of technology on business, customers, organizations, leaders and employees. This week's interview with Aykan Raşitoğlu gave me a whole new perspective on how AI will transform organizations.
Aykan is both the technology director of our companies and a leading technology expert in cyber security and digital transformationwith nearly 20 years of experience. As someone who has been at the forefront of innovation for years, he helps companies achieve sustainable growth using technology. During our conversation, he told me about his concept of "Artificial Collar Workers ". This forward-thinking approach gave me valuable insights on how companies can succeed in the AI era and what challenges they can face.
In this blog, you will find Aykan's thoughts on Artificial Collar Workers, as well as my own assessments on how this concept can shape the future of business.
According to Aykan, AI workers are digital agents or software-based systems that are integrated into business processes. These AI-powered systems automate certain functions, solve complex problems or support employees by accelerating decision-making processes. In fact, he humanized the concept of AI Agents in the World. "People are already afraid of AI, we shouldn't make it more difficult by calling them agents," he says.
Although AI agents are currently making a significant impact in areas such as marketing, analytics and engineering, they are rapidly becoming widespread in many areas such as IT, human resources, law, design, administrative affairs and project management. More and more functions are being integrated with AI agents, and this is accelerating with the development of technology.
Here are some example contributionsof AI workers:
- Marketing: Personalized campaigns, market trend analysis and ad optimization.
- Engineering: Simulations, diagnostics and predictive maintenance solutions.
- Design: Creation of creative concepts and automation of prototype designs.
- Human Resources: Automation of recruitment, onboarding and employee engagement processes.
- Legal: Contract analysis, legal research and compliance monitoring.
- Administrative Affairs: Managing email and meeting scheduling with virtual assistants.
- Project Management: Optimizing workflows, anticipating risks and tracking project milestones.
"Right now, marketing is the biggest adopter of AI. Followed by analytics, engineering and IT," says Aykan. "But this is just the beginning-thepotential of AI in every department willsoonbe realized."
During our conversation, I asked Aykan the question on many people's minds: "Will people lose their jobs because of AI?"
Aykan answered this question as follows:
"In developed countries, this question is no longer a topic of discussion. Instead, their focus has shifted to how to increase productivity by collaborating with AI. As Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoğlu has pointed out, technology has not delivered the productivity gains we expected in our country over the last 20 years, and in many cases has increased inequality.
The real issue in the next 20 years should not be whether AI will eliminate jobs, but how we use it, how we collaborate, how we drive efficiency, effectiveness and growth with AI while not deepening inequality. AI has incredible potential, but it is up to us to integrate it responsibly and intelligently.
The world is always full of opportunities. The key to succeeding in this new era will be to learn, adapt and evolve with AI. To give a clear answer: People who don't learn to use or collaborate with AI will struggle to find work. But it won't be because of AI; it will be because of a lack of learning and a lack of curiosity.
The future will belong to those who are open to learning and embrace working with new tools. AI is transforming businesses and organizations, not people - and those that evolve with it will open the door to limitless opportunities."
An important point that struck me in my conversation with Aykan was that while AI can increase productivity, it cannot replace the human experience. Each individual brings a unique combination of life experience, creativity and emotional intelligence to the workplace - and these cannot be replicated by any AI system.
"There are 8 billion people in the world, each with thousands of unique experiences," Aykan said. "These human elements fuel real innovation. AI can analyze data faster, but it lacks understanding of context, emotion and nuance. It is the human experience that gives meaning to data."
With the rise of AI, 'experience' will become even more valuable in business. AI can automate and optimize, but only humans can build relationships, solve complex problems with intuition, and make value-based decisions.
One of Aykan's most interesting predictions is that with the rise of Artificial Collar Employees, new departments will be needed in organizations. Just as there are HR Departments for employees, he predicts that companies will need to create AI Resources departments for Artificial Collars and undertake the performance and management of these systems.
Responsibilities of these new departments:
- Training and monitoring AI models to make sure they align with business goals.
- Collaborate with HR and Leadership and Legal teams to integrate AI systems into operations.
- Drive change management processes to ensure that employees work in harmony with AI-powered agents.
Aykan emphasizes that organizations should see AI systems as valuable assets as human employees and invest in supervision and training processes to ensure their continuous development.
The integration of AI systems will require a cultural shift similar to mergers and acquisitions. As Aykan explains, the coming together of different company cultures and employees often causes resistance and merger efforts fail. Likewise, employees may resist the integration of AI tools.
For this process to succeed, companies need to focus on the following areas:
- upskilling and developing employees: empowering them to use AI tools effectively.
- Adaptability and adaptability: Developing a mindset open to technology.
- Culture change initiatives: Fostering trust and collaboration between AI systems and human employees.
"Integrating AI into the workplace is like welcoming a new colleague to the team," says Aykan. "It requires careful planning, communication and change management. Employees must learn to see AI not as a threat, but as an opportunity to enhance their role."
Aykan's concept of Artificial Collar Workers offers a new perspective on the future of organizations. The focus shifts from eliminating jobs to creating a synergy between humans and AI-powered agents. This collaborative approach allows organizations to increase their levels of creativity, efficiency and innovation.
The insights I received from Aykan Rasitoğlu not only broadened my horizons but also inspired me as a consulting firm owner. His vision ofthe Artificial Collar Worker is a powerful reminder that the future of business will be shaped by the collaboration of humans and AI.
AtSuccess Programme, we are committed to helping companies understand the big change, embrace this future and guide them on their journey of change management, skills development and cultural transformation. Together, we can push the boundaries of productivity and creativity, building workplaces where AI and humans work hand in hand.
The AI era is not just about technology - it is also about redefining work, relationships and culture. With tech leaders like Aykan Rasitoğlu leading the way, the future looks promising.
"Having advised more than 1000 companies for over 30 years, the most important lesson I have learned from my experience is that the future of a company depends on the ability of its employees to adapt to change.
This has always been the most difficult part of transformation. People resist even the smallest changes and without the ability to adapt to change, companies struggle. With the development of AI, it is imperative that companies and their employees improve their ability to adapt and manage change. The ability of companies to collaborate with AI will determine their future."