What does it take to build a future-ready workforce? Is it deploying the latest technology or empowering the people to make the most out of what they already possess? These were the questions in the minds of one and all when a hall full of entrepreneurs, innovators, and mentors congregated to explore how AI could reshape the way we work. But what’s the answer? Of course, it wasn't precisely the thing one would expect. Building a future-ready workforce means, well, not chasing after every shiny new gadget, software or what’s new from AI.

Felecia, CEO & Co-founder of StoryJourney AI, brought an AI workshop entitled Building AI-Powered Workforce: Practical Tools for Success during an event brought together at Bali Tech Summit 2024 by La French Tech. It rounded up entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and startup enthusiasts from across the world to show just how digital technologies are changing industries and help business links between Indonesia and France.

The workshop brought together ideas, innovation, and cultural exchange with participants from France, Singapore, Spain, Africa, Germany, and Indonesia. With so many people from different backgrounds gathered in one place, perhaps it is only natural if people are confused about one thing: How might AI advance us toward a future where work becomes more efficient, creative, and enriching?

The StoryJourney workshop was one the highlights of the event. It was the time for Felecia to take center stage and introduce StoryJourney.ai as an AI-powered platform that converts plain text into animated stories. It creates scripts for the users in their name, adds characters, voiceovers, and produces AI-generated 3D animations—all this in a few minutes. Making it possible not only for education purposes in the classroom, but also for professional training in the office.

This helps anyone to open their mind and see the capabilities of AI. When we used to overthink that AI might replace us, this was the best counter attack of that worry. We need to know how these tools work and how to use them. StoryJourney is one of the ways to prove how conventionally it will be when we don’t have to waste our time on something that AI could do for us. Meanwhile, we can use our time to do something more big and impactful like preparing the next step for your business.

As cool as the tech was, Felecia made it clear that it was about to show off what AI could do. This wasn't a "tech for tech's sake" moment, really. The real message was much bigger. It was how such AI tools as StoryJourney and any other tools that exist had the potential to make humans more creative and efficient with their work. What she was trying to say is that the future of work is not to keep up with the latest trends. Rather, it's about finding those technologies that unlock human potential and can automate those tasks that can be automated. In other words, it's enhancing human capabilities, not replacing them.

At its core, AI has the potential to make experiences more dynamic, more engaging, and personalized—whether through the learning materials employees use or through the tools they work with every day. And in doing so, it can make work not just productive but also rewarding. The automation of more mundane tasks by AI frees workers to devote more time to creative problem-solving and less to mundane tasks.

By the end of the workshop, participants were impressed with the potential of AI to revolutionize industries, not so much with the idea that AI could actually enhance human potential rather than diminish it. That was indeed an eye-opener for many who at one time or another had feared that AI might take over jobs. Instead, the message they left with was one of collaboration: AI and humans together create a more efficient, creative, and forward-thinking workforce.

Which brings us back to our core question: What does it take to build a future-ready workforce? The answer, as it happens, isn't to be found in the latest software or gadget. It's not about replacing people with machines, throwing out everything that has worked in the past. It is just using technology, more importantly, AI in such a way as to enable people to do the best work possible. It is about amplifying what we are doing really well and finding ways of working smarter, not harder.

The future of work is not just about AI. It is about how we use AI to unlock new opportunities for growth and human ingenuity. It is not about striking a balance between technology and human potential but using that as a means to create a workforce that is ready not just for the future but to excel in it.