What does it mean to invest $1 billion in generative AI?

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of many consultancies pouring money into the buzzy technology, is making a pricey gamble based on the belief that generative AI will revolutionize the future of work and the global economy. PwC wants to position itself at the forefront of educating clients on best practices and use cases.

In order to spread generative AI knowledge and expertise, the professional services firm is enacting an upskilling campaign to familiarize its US rank-and-file with the tech.

“We think it’s really important that our people understand both the power of the tools and the responsibility they have to apply to the tools in the right way,” Joe Atkinson, PwC’s vice chair and chief products and technology officer, said at PwC’s tech showcase in May.

As the generative AI hype train barrels forward, some organizations increasingly view fluency in the tech as a vital skill, and AI ethicists implore companies to train their people to work alongside it. Unlike a variety of corporate giants that have banned use of certain generative AI products such as ChatGPT, PwC will attempt to acquaint 65,000 US employees with generative AI on various levels of technical proficiency over a three-year period, according to a company announcement.

Keep reading.—SB

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Welcome to our regular HR advice column, Ask a Resourceful Human. Here to answer all of your burning questions is Massella Dukuly, the head of workplace strategy and innovation at Charter, a media services company that aims to transform the workplace. Dukuly has trained over 10,000 leaders at startups and global enterprises, including Squarespace and the New York Times. Sign up for Charter’s free salary transparency playbook here.

Got a question for us? Use this form to submit it.

How do I build confidence and minimize nerves when virtually onboarding new employees to all of the tech that we use?

So much of my career has been built around facilitating workshops and conversations. Public speaking, whether virtually or in-person, can be intimidating. More so, virtual presentations may feel difficult because it can be harder to gauge your audience’s energy through a screen, especially if they’re muted and have cameras off.

Practice makes perfect-ish. I’ve led about 1,000 meetings virtually. It didn’t always feel comfortable, but I can promise you that time and repetition will increase your confidence.

On an ongoing basis, find ways to flex your presentation skills. Perhaps that’s volunteering to lead a low-pressure meeting. The more you get a chance to experience what could throw you off, the easier it will be to think through solutions when you’re sharing something new. Additionally, be sure to ask for feedback. I like to pick a trusted colleague before the presentation and ask them to share one thing I did well, and one thing I can do 10% better. Extra points if you have a specific skill you want them to keep an eye out for.

Keep reading.—MD

“If you build it, they will come” was meant for a baseball diamond in a cornfield, but bosses these days are hoping that it also applies to getting employees back in the office. Companies eager to boost attendance are upping their game with enticing amenities.

CBRE, a commercial real estate company, polled its clients to find out what office amenities they were prioritizing to lure back employees. Amenities relating to the commute (public transportation access and car parking) were the top two, followed by on-site food and beverage—like a cafeteria—and having enough meeting space.

Previous data from design firm Gensler revealed the growing popularity of certain office amenities, including quiet spaces and creative collaboration zones. The company’s survey data found that employees are more inclined to return to the office if it offers the right mix of spaces they need.

Although office attendance hit a high at the beginning of this year, reaching 50% of pre-pandemic levels, the number of companies that require employees to be in the office full-time has decreased from 49% to 42% from February to mid-May, according to Scoop Technologies, a workplace monitoring software firm.

In an effort to get employees in offices, some employers are trying stricter mandates, while others are focused on improving the office experience. The issue has even drawn governmental action. NYC Mayor Eric Adams recently announced tax incentives for owners who upgrade office buildings constructed before the year 2000, the WSJ pointed out.

“The office is still an important organizational tool to help culture,” Julie Whelan, CBRE’s head of occupier research for the Americas, said in a CBRE media call last week. “Lower than anticipated utilization is happening today because it is very hard to change behaviors that have been rooted for three years now…organizations are taking more action to train new norms and behaviors.”

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: The unemployment rate rose to 3.7% in May, up from 3.4% in April. (the Wall Street Journal)

Quote: “Are they adopted in a spirit of improving processes and creating more and better output? Or are they used crudely just to get rid of workers? That’s a difference between ‘good AI’ and ‘bad AI.’”—Mark Muro, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, on what will influence worker relationships with AI (Insider)

Read: The first phase of Amazon’s new headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, is complete. (Washingtonian)

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