The Gen AI Productivity Revolution for Associations
Professional associations stand at a pivotal moment in their history. Generative AI (Gen AI) has burst onto the scene, transforming how organizations operate and engage with stakeholders. For associations, this is not just a technological shift—it’s an opportunity to redefine leadership, both internally and within the industries they represent. By embracing Gen AI, associations can streamline operations, empower staff and volunteers, and set the gold standard for members navigating this new frontier.
Gen AI Productivity Booster
The impact of Gen AI is undeniable. A recent study by Harvard Business School in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) revealed that AI-assisted knowledge workers completed tasks 25% faster while delivering 40% higher-quality outputs. These gains were observed among top-tier professionals, demonstrating that AI doesn’t merely automate routine tasks—it augments human capabilities in complex, creative, and analytical work.
For associations, the implications are profound. Staff handling member inquiries can use AI-powered chat systems to provide instant, accurate responses. Volunteers can rely on AI to automate event logistics or generate reports, freeing up time for more meaningful engagement. Content creation, from policy briefs to member newsletters, becomes faster and more polished with AI assistance.
Leadership Beyond Gen AI Productivity
While internal productivity gains are crucial, associations have a broader mandate: to lead by example. Members look to associations for guidance on adopting cutting-edge technologies responsibly.
High-performing organizations integrating Gen AI embed it across multiple functions, from product development to supply chain management. Associations can take a cue from this playbook, extending Gen AI use to areas like membership personalization, policy advocacy, and education programs. For instance, AI can analyze member data to recommend tailored professional development opportunities, increasing engagement and retention.
Setting the Standards for Industry Adoption
Associations are uniquely positioned to establish best practices for Gen AI within their industries. This goes beyond implementing the technology—it requires creating frameworks to ensure AI use is ethical, transparent, and aligned with organizational values.
The jagged frontier of AI capabilities presents challenges that associations are well-suited to navigate. In the Harvard-BCG study, participants sometimes relied too heavily on flawed AI outputs. This highlights the need for human oversight and the importance of training professionals to collaborate effectively with AI. Associations can lead the charge by developing training programs, setting usage guidelines, and advocating for AI literacy across their industries.
Democratizing Talent, Empowering Volunteers
One of the most compelling findings from the Harvard-BCG study is AI’s ability to democratize intelligence. Workers who struggled with certain tasks saw their performance improve by over 40% with AI assistance, leveling the playing field and ensuring that even less-experienced staff or volunteers can contribute effectively.
For associations, this represents a powerful opportunity to empower volunteers. AI tools can support individuals with varying skill levels, enabling more diverse participation in organizational activities. Imagine volunteers using AI to draft persuasive grant proposals or analyze industry trends for advocacy efforts. With the right tools, everyone becomes a high performer.
Addressing the Risks of AI Adoption
While the promise of Gen AI is immense, associations must also confront its risks, which range from immediate operational challenges to potential extinction-level threats. AI’s dual-use nature means it can amplify human biases, mishandle sensitive member data, or produce outputs misaligned with organizational goals. However, the risks go far beyond these operational concerns.
In the immediate term, generative AI systems often lack transparency, making it difficult to understand how decisions are made. This “black-box” nature can lead to unintended consequences, such as reinforcing systemic biases in hiring or producing misleading outputs in member communications. Associations must also be vigilant about data security, ensuring that member information is protected from breaches and misuse.
Looking further ahead, the rapid evolution of AI raises concerns about unintended autonomous decision-making and the possibility of misaligned AI systems acting contrary to human interests. If improperly managed, advanced AI could make decisions at a scale and speed beyond human control, posing catastrophic risks. The prospect of “runaway” AI—systems optimizing for unintended goals—has been flagged by experts as a potential extinction-level threat.
As Anthony Aguirre, Executive Director of the Future of Life Institute, warns, the dual-use nature of AI demands strong oversight. Without proactive governance, generative AI’s transformative power could be exploited for malicious ends, such as creating convincing disinformation or enabling cyberattacks. Associations, as stewards of industry standards, must take these risks seriously.
To navigate this landscape, associations must adopt a multi-pronged strategy:
- Ethical Oversight: Establish AI ethics committees to review deployment plans and ensure alignment with organizational values.
- Bias Audits: Regularly audit AI outputs to detect and correct biases, ensuring equitable treatment of all members and stakeholders.
- Data Security: Implement cryptographic solutions like differential privacy to safeguard sensitive member data.
- Collaborative Governance: Advocate for global regulatory frameworks and work with industry partners to promote cohesive safety standards.
Moreover, associations can play a pivotal role in educating their members about AI risks, offering training programs on responsible AI use, and advocating for policies that constrain AI’s operational domain to prevent catastrophic outcomes.
The Path Forward for Associations
Generative AI represents more than a tool—it’s a transformative force reshaping how organizations operate and interact with their communities. For associations, the stakes are high, but so is the potential for impact. By integrating AI thoughtfully into their workflows, associations can improve efficiency, enhance member experiences, and position themselves as thought leaders.
More importantly, associations can guide their industries toward responsible AI adoption. By balancing innovation with ethics and trust, they can help shape a future where technology serves humanity, not the other way around.
The question for association leaders is no longer whether to embrace AI but how quickly and effectively they can adapt. The future is here, and those who lead will not only thrive but also set the standard for generations to come.
Key Take-Away
Gen AI Productivity is a game-changer for associations—boosting efficiency, empowering volunteers, and enhancing member engagement. Share on XImage credit: TECNIC Bioprocess Solutions/pexels
Dr. Gleb Tsipursky was named “Office Whisperer” by The New York Times for helping leaders overcome frustrations with hybrid work and Generative AI. He serves as the CEO of the future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts. Dr. Gleb wrote seven best-selling books, and his two most recent ones are Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams and ChatGPT for Thought Leaders and Content Creators: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI for Innovative and Effective Content Creation. His cutting-edge thought leadership was featured in over 650 articles and 550 interviews in Harvard Business Review, Inc. Magazine, USA Today, CBS News, Fox News, Time, Business Insider, Fortune, The New York Times, and elsewhere. His writing was translated into Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Korean, French, Vietnamese, German, and other languages. His expertise comes from over 20 years of consulting, coaching, and speaking and training for Fortune 500 companies from Aflac to Xerox. It also comes from over 15 years in academia as a behavioral scientist, with 8 years as a lecturer at UNC-Chapel Hill and 7 years as a professor at Ohio State. A proud Ukrainian American, Dr. Gleb lives in Columbus, Ohio.