Neurodivergent workers' AI edge
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Anxiety around how AI will change work is mounting, with the latest warning from the International Monetary Fund stating that some 60% of jobs in America will be affected.
- But one silver lining is how AI will open new opportunities for workers whose brains work in unique ways, such as those with autism or ADHD.
Why it matters: Some 50 million Americans are neurodivergent, and the unemployment rate for these adults is estimated at 40%, according to MIT Sloan Management Review.
- Overlooked workers in this talent pool have a wide range of skills and qualifications, including college degrees.
Case in point: Enabled Intelligence, a Virginia AI startup that works with the U.S. government, is tapping into this pool.
Catch up quick: AI learns by guzzling data that has been annotated by humans. Demand for human teachers and graders for AI will keep growing alongside demand for the tech itself.
- For example, training AI to spot Russian fighter jets means showing it human-checked satellite images with and without jets, and then humans once again checking to see if the machine is correctly identifying the images with the jets, says Peter Kant, founder and CEO of Enabled Intelligence.
Annotating volumes of military and government data requires skills like hyper-focus, attention to detail and puzzle-solving, which neurodivergent workers are likelier to have.
- Over half of Enabled Intelligence's workforce is neurodivergent, Kant tells Axios.
- And recruitment is ongoing. This week, the company is running a boot camp to train 100 neurodivergent individuals.
Zoom in: To accommodate workers with different needs, Enabled Intelligence builds in flexibility and support.
- There are quiet areas for those who need calm environments, active areas for workers who prefer the stimulation of standing or walking around while working, and flexible hours.
- Workers also have weekly access to an occupational coach who can offer tips and tricks on everything from how to deal with an over-full inbox to how to socialize with colleagues.
Zoom out: Big companies like JPMorgan Chase and Microsoft are also hiring from this historically underemployed talent pool.
- "We grossly underestimated the impact that having a neurodiverse worker on a team would have," Bryan Gill, global head of neurodiversity at JPMorgan Chase, told CNBC.
