Harvard, MIT, and Wharton research reveals pitfalls of relying on junior staff for AI training

The new study challenges the conventional wisdom that younger, more tech-savvy employees will lead AI adoption in companies by revealing that junior employees, when experimenting with generative AI systems, made recommendations for risk mitigation that ran counter to expert advice4. The study found that the tactics recommended by junior employees to alleviate managers' concerns about risks were often based on a lack of deep understanding of the emerging technology's capabilities, focused on changing human behavior rather than AI system design, and centered on project-level interventions rather than organization or industry-wide solutions. This suggests that companies cannot solely rely on reverse mentoring to ensure the responsible use of AI and highlights the need for top-down AI governance, expert input, and upskilling across all levels of the organization.

The study identified several shortcomings in the junior consultants' recommendations for AI risk mitigation. Firstly, their tactics were often based on a lack of deep understanding of the emerging technology's capabilities. Secondly, they focused on changing human behavior rather than AI system design. Lastly, their recommendations centered on project-level interventions rather than organization or industry-wide solutions.