Growing Tomorrow’s Talent at APEM Group - Ctrl Alt Lead podcast

CIO John Seabourn explains how AI is reshaping the workforce today and its impact on tomorrow

APEM Group’s CDIO, John Seabourn, gives us boots-on-the-ground insights into how AI is already changing the workforce.

There’s never been a better time to work in the environmental space. Not only is the demand for green solutions and insights higher than ever, but the data and technology available have unlocked a new level of capability for companies like environmental consultancy APEM Group.

AI is a mixed bag for the eco-conscious. On one hand it could help find solutions for the climate crisis, years before we could possibly do so without it. On the other, it could hasten the same crisis with the resources its massive datacentres consume and the heat they throw out.

APEM’s CDIO, John Seabourn, acknowledges that ambivalence in our latest podcast episode.

“We want to use technology to have a positive impact, and that means balancing the resources that AI and computing power use with the benefits it can bring...

“There is a balance to strike between bringing these big infrastructure projects online and improving the way that we are managing resources, and then trading that off against the compute power that's needed to make some of these things happen quicker and more efficiently - and bringing together the data that helps us make really good decisions to bring those things online faster.”

We also talked about AI’s impact on the workforce, specifically at the entry level, where there’s a real risk that offloading traditionally junior responsibilities will impact the opportunities for new starters. That could lead to a dearth of mid-tier professionals in a few years’ time.

John, who joined APEM from the oil & gas industry, has seen the result of a similar circumstance firsthand. In the 2010s that sector went through the “great retirement,” with about half of employees due to leave work in the same decade.

“The industry ended up paying premiums to attract skills and saw many, projects that were delayed and had huge cost overruns.”

Although the great retirement did eventually work out in young people’s favour – with new pathways to progress opening inside organisations – the outcome of the AI revolution could be different unless it’s handled carefully. John discusses hybrid roles, which balance operational and AI expertise, as one possible solution.

To hear all about John's insights into hybrid roles, the AI-versus-environment balancing act, and whether or not AI really is a bubble, watch the video, use the web player, or find Ctrl Alt Lead now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.