ChatGPT: Can it help elevate HR?

There’s a lot being touted about ChatGHPT, the AI language bot:

• It can pass parts of business, law and medical exams
• There’s inherent human, racist and discriminatory bias in it
• People are using it to create workout plans
• It was left-wing/ideological bias
• And the list goes on

But here are some things you should know about ChatGPT before you jump into any conclusion about what it is:

• The website itself states the limitations of the system, including:
• May occasionally generate incorrect information
• May occasionally produce harmful instructions of biased content
• Limited knowledge of the world and events after 2021
• It has zero EQ
• It cannot distinguish between fact or fiction
• It makes up stuff up to 15-20% of the time
• It doesn’t indicate source of information
• The guardrails against biased, hateful or malicious responses have limitations/ can be bypassed

After spending some time to test it, here are some tips for you:

The way you structure your question matters

Now, I tried to ask the following questions to ChatGPT:

• Is Scott Morrison a good leader?
• Should Harry be allowed to attend the coronation?
• What’s the probability that Dominic Perrotet will be elected as premier in 2023?

And these are perfect examples of imperfect questions that ChatGPT cannot answer adequately for the following reasons:

• Assessing the qualities of a public figure is a subjective matter which depends individual perspectives and opinions. ChatGPT advises you to consider multiple viewpoints and gather a well-rounded understanding of an individual's leadership style and effectiveness.
• As an AI language model, I do not have opinions or make judgments on matters such as a coronation. This would be decision that would be made by the relevant authorities and protocol officials, taking into consideration factors such as tradition, protocol, and the relationship between Prince Harry and the Royal Family.
• It does not have current information, there are many influencing factors, and difficult to predict. ChatGPT instead advises you to follow development and analyse available data

To this end, I am happy that ChatGPT demonstrates some level of objectivity in answers with clear indication of it’s own limitations.

Works best when we ask for facts …

Now, what I tried was to ask my earlier questions in a different way where the questions were more pointed in asking for analysis rather than a contrarian angled conversation:

1. Why is Scott Morrison unpopular?
2. What are the risks of Harry attending the coronation?
3. Does Malaysia have racist policies?
4. What are the reasons people of NSW should re-elect Liberal?

And the answers were pretty succinct analysis of the subjects at hand, as they are pretty lengthy, I’ll share the answers for these questions:

Scott Morrison:

Scott Morrison's popularity can vary over time and depends on several factors, including his political decisions and actions, the state of the economy, and the general public's perception of him and his government. As of my knowledge cut-off in 2021, Scott Morrison's government has faced criticism for a number of issues, including:

• Response to the bushfire crisis: Many Australians felt that the government's response was inadequate and too slow.
• Handling of the COVID-19 pandemic: There were concerns about the government's handling of the pandemic, including quarantine breaches, vaccine rollout issues, and international travel restrictions.
• Economic inequality and cost of living: Many Australians felt that the government was not doing enough to address economic inequality and the rising cost of living.
• Climate change: There were concerns that the government was not doing enough to address the issue of climate change.

These are some of the factors that may have contributed to a decline in Scott Morrison's popularity. However, it's important to note that popularity can change over time and is influenced by many factors.

Prince Harry:

It's difficult to determine the specific risks of Prince Harry attending King Charles' coronation without more context, as there could be a range of potential risks that depend on the specific circumstances and dynamics involved. Some possible risks could include:

• Political and diplomatic concerns: Attending a high-profile event such as a coronation could raise political and diplomatic concerns, particularly if Prince Harry has been critical of the government or has taken positions that are at odds with the monarchy.
• Security risks: The attendance of a high-profile individual such as Prince Harry at a public event could raise security concerns and increase the risk of disruptive or violent incidents.
• Media attention: Prince Harry's attendance at the coronation could attract significant media attention and generate public discussion, which could lead to negative publicity or controversy.
• Family tensions: The attendance of Prince Harry at the coronation could raise tensions within the Royal Family, particularly if there is a history of conflict or strained relationships between members of the family.

These are just a few of the potential risks that could be associated with Prince Harry attending King Charles' coronation. The specific risks would depend on a range of factors, including the relationship between Prince Harry and the Royal Family, the political climate, and the security situation at the time of the event.

Malaysia:

Malaysia has been accused of having policies and practices that discriminate against certain ethnic and religious minorities, such as the ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, and non-Muslim religious groups. Some have argued that these policies and practices contribute to a climate of racism and prejudice in the country.

However, the government of Malaysia has denied the existence of systemic racism in the country and has taken steps to promote racial harmony and equality. It is important to note that racism can take many forms, and its impact can vary greatly between individuals and communities. The issue of racism and discrimination in Malaysia is complex and multi-faceted, and continues to be the subject of ongoing public debate and scrutiny.

For me, I am happy with the concise, objective and balanced analysis provided by ChatGPT to my questions above. I also found the answers to be politically correct and written in a way to defuse legal risks. Granted that even if there are inherent bias in the system, I’m happy to take the answers as a first cut for me to analyse further before I reach any conclusion.

Can ChatGPT elevate HR?

Now that we have established some foundations around the possibilities that Chat GPT can offer (as well as it’s imperfection), let’s talk about how it can help people in HR up their game.

Here are some questions that I asked which provided me with answers which I consider decent:

1. What can we do about systemic bias in a company?
2. What’s the best strategy to enable Cochlear to sustain its’ growth and position as the world leader in hearing technology?
3. What is the strategy to uplift Company X as an employer of choice and HR as a strategic business partner?
4. How does privilege impact inclusion in an organisation?
5. How can we improve inclusion in Company X’s hiring process?

Here’s the ChatGPT answer for the first question:

If your company has identified systemic bias in its processes, there are several steps that can be taken to address and overcome it:

• Conduct a comprehensive review: Start by thoroughly reviewing the company's policies, procedures, and processes to identify where systemic bias may be present.
• Engage with diverse stakeholders: Engage with employees, customers, and other stakeholders to gather their perspectives and insights on the issue. This can help to build a shared understanding of the problem and identify potential solutions.
• Develop and implement solutions: Based on the findings of the review and engagement with stakeholders, develop a comprehensive plan to address the systemic bias and implement it in a consistent and effective manner.
• Monitor and evaluate progress: Regularly monitor the effectiveness of the solutions and evaluate progress over time. Be open to making changes and adjustments as needed to ensure the solutions are effective.
• Foster an inclusive culture: Create a workplace culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, and encourages employees to bring forward concerns and suggestions for improvement.
• Provide training and education: Provide training and education opportunities for employees to help them understand the impacts of systemic bias and how to recognize and overcome it in their work.
• Hold leadership accountable: Hold senior leaders accountable for creating and maintaining a workplace culture that is free of systemic bias, and make sure that they lead by example in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

These are just some of the steps that can be taken to address systemic bias in a company's processes. It is important to approach the issue with a sense of urgency and a commitment to making lasting and meaningful change.

Now, having worked in the DE&I consulting space, I can confirm that these are pretty much the solutions that consultants will prescribe/offer to your organisation if you asked the same question.

Let’s look at the answer to the 2nd question:

To sustain its growth and position as the world leader in hearing technology, Cochlear could consider the following strategies:

• Research and Development (R&D): Continuously invest in R&D to stay ahead of the competition and bring new and innovative products to the market.
• Market Expansion: Expand into new geographic markets and diversify product offerings to increase revenue streams and reach new customer segments.
• Partnerships and collaborations: Form strategic partnerships and collaborations with other companies and organizations in the industry to enhance product development, reduce costs and share resources.
• Customer Focus: Foster strong relationships with customers by understanding their needs and providing high-quality customer service and support.
• Digital Transformation: Embrace digital technologies and leverage data to optimize operations, enhance product offerings and improve customer experience.
• Talent Attraction and Retention: Attract and retain top talent by offering competitive compensation packages, benefits and professional development opportunities.
• Brand Building: Build and maintain a strong brand reputation by consistently delivering high-quality products, services and customer experiences.
• By implementing these strategies, Cochlear can sustain its growth and maintain its position as the world leader in hearing technology. It is important to continuously review and adjust these strategies to stay ahead of the competition and meet the evolving needs of the industry.

For me, this is all pretty impressive considering that:

• These are answers from a computer, not from an expert in business strategy or HR
• It’s learning all the time and answers will become better with more knowledge and guardrails being put in place

Whilst not everyone will be able to leverage on ChatGPT, it is definitely a gamechanger for people in the knowledge economy as it will help provide analysis in a matter of seconds, rather than to browse through Google for hundreds of articles to form a hypothesis. Whilst we cannot take any of the answers as definitive given that fact checking is required. At the moment, I am happy to live with ChatGPT’s limitations as I am prepared to:

1. Leverage it as a handy platform to give a head start in high level analysis and hypothesis formation
2. Keep changing my questions (and to make them more focused on asking for facts)
3. Fact check, converse with others and seek alternative opinion

Given the immense potential that ChatGPT promises, I have confidence that it (or its’ successors) will eliminate the biases when they build a more diverse workforce to provide a more inclusive lens to the system

So, what’s your verdict??I'm inviting you to share your thoughts ...

1. What excites you about it?
2. What scares you about it?
3. What should we be careful of?

Foo Jiong Kit Adrian Esposito Kate Neilson John Fitchett Joe Hart Casey Aladic Rosma Abd Azid Simon Covill, MBA (Change), MBusCoach, Prosci