How AI can unleash a human renaissance

Human renaissance: woman smiling at a tablet in her hands

Across all industries, people are feeling the huge waves of generative AI (GenAI) as it radically changes the way we work and live. From historians and futurists to CEOs and investment analysts, leaders have called this shift a technological revolution—and they're right.

If leaders focus solely on technology, however, they'll miss the opportunity to usher in a human renaissance and inspire the boundless creativity of their people.

AI in the service of people

At ServiceNow, we're all in to put AI to work for people. AI is already helping augment our capabilities, enhance productivity and create new opportunities for learning and innovation. Just as important, AI helps increase the capacity of people, which supports our business strategy and boosts innovation to help our customers do the same.

We're not alone. The 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report from Microsoft and LinkedIn found 79% of leaders agree their organisations need to adopt AI for competitive advantage. ServiceNow's inaugural Enterprise AI Maturity Index—a global survey of 4,470 executives in partnership with Oxford Economics—revealed 81% of leaders plan to increase their AI investment next year.

Yet, according to the Microsoft-LinkedIn research, 60% of leaders are unsure their organisations have a plan and vision to implement AI.

The key to unlocking the value of AI is a winning talent strategy, not just a tech strategy. That's why HR leaders need to take responsibility for AI implementation. We need to ask ourselves, "If we built the HR function of the future from the ground up, powered by AI, how would we design it?" We must:

Rethink strategies, operating models and learning programmes
Align talent to business goals
Foster a culture of experimentation
Reskill our workforces

And we need to do all these things quickly—the stakes grow higher as the pace of change accelerates.

The key to unlocking the value of AI is a winning talent strategy, not just a tech strategy.

Creativity in the age of AI

AI helps organisations reduce tedious work. This is critical because creativity is one of the most fundamental human qualities. It allows us to solve the most complex problems, innovate and express ourselves.

Creativity is also one of the most sought-after skills in the workplace as the world becomes more complex. According to the World Economic Forum Future of jobs 2023 report, "Demand for creative thinking will grow faster in the next five years—by 73%—than demand for analytical thinking."

Too often, the modern workplace dampens creativity. At ServiceNow, we believe technology can enable human creativity rather than threaten it. We see this capacity shift as an opportunity to innovate in amazing ways, which can expand the value of our investment in AI far more than simply boosting productivity.

That's why we design innovative digital workflows, powered by AI, to help people overcome the obstacles to creativity:

Time and space: We automate the mundane and repetitive tasks that consume people's energy, freeing them to focus on the more creative and meaningful aspects of their work. AI also helps them manage their workflows and priorities, reducing the clutter and noise that distract them from their goals.
Tools and resources: We enable people to access and use the best technologies, data, and platforms that can act as companions and creative guides. We offer learning opportunities to upskill and reskill for the future. Our platform connects people to a diverse and global network of peers, experts, and mentors who can inspire them, challenge them and support them in their creative journeys.
Culture and leadership: We empower people to take ownership and initiative in their work, giving them the autonomy and flexibility to pursue their passions and interests. We help our employees and customers foster a culture of collaboration, which allows people to share their ideas, learn from each other and celebrate their achievements.

By providing these benefits, the ServiceNow platform helps people reach their full potential and create value for themselves, their organisations and their communities. It also helps them develop the skills and mindsets essential for creativity, such as curiosity, openness, resilience and empathy.

A new AI playbook for people

At ServiceNow, we've infused GenAI capabilities into every workflow on the Now Platform with Now Assist. Our AI-driven platform powers 1 million business processes and 40 billion workflows for our customers.

We've outlined a vision in which AI can help us create a better world of work, one where people can focus on what matters most, achieve their full potential and amplify innovation for our company and our customers.

To make this vision a reality, we've evolved our people strategy to focus on three pillars:

People-led
Data-driven
AI-powered

Our People Pact is our North Star, our commitment that everything we do should help our people do their best work, live their best lives and fulfil our purpose together. With that foundation, we've doubled down on our product mindset and human-centred design to deliver personalised and seamless employee experiences.

We've created an AI factory to convert ideas into reality across the employee journey. And we've invested strategically in AI capabilities to enhance our products and services for both employees and customers.

We've also elevated leaders to focus solely on AI strategy and implementation in HR. We educate and enable our people to understand, use and build AI. We launched AI 101 training to help our 24,000-plus employees grasp the basics, identify use cases and apply AI to their work in novel ways.

In addition, we've created new tracks for learning and development, depending on the level of AI skills required for each role. Whether it's understanding AI, using AI, building AI or reskilling and upskilling for AI, we want to provide our people with the best learning opportunities and resources to succeed.

HR leaders—working closely with their CEOs and C-suite partners—hold the responsibility to put AI to work for people.

A confident vision for people and AI

When I speak with HR and business leaders around the world, they're optimistic about the role of AI in transforming employee experience. They also understand that some people may have concerns about the unknown, especially whether AI will replace their jobs.

That's why we need to listen to our people, address their fears and focus on humanity. We need to show how AI can augment their work, free them from mundane tasks and enable them to focus on higher-value, creative work they enjoy. Our actions should demonstrate how AI can help them learn new skills, grow their careers and achieve their aspirations.

Organisations have a philosophical choice in the age of AI. They can try to automate people out of jobs, or they can choose to bring employees along on the journey. Businesses that do the latter can thrive for many years to come.

HR leaders—working closely with their CEOs and C-suite partners—hold the responsibility to put AI to work for people. With the help of AI, organisations have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to unleash a human renaissance defined by creativity.

Find out more about how ServiceNow helps put AI to work for people.