Generative AI in HR – taking shape, but taking time

In just a few months, on 30th November 2024, it will be the two-year anniversary of the public launch of ChatGPT.?Given the huge impact this technology has already had on our collective consciousness and expectations for the future, it’s difficult to believe that for most of us it’s less than two years since we first became aware that such advanced capabilities for generating realistic text and human-like interactions were even possible.

Since those first tentative engagements with Generative AI that we took on our personal phones and laptops, staring amazed as lines of coherent, authoritative text emerged word-by-word on our screens in response to whatever random questions we posed, it’s been clear that the potential for transforming the world of work and delivering unprecedented productivity increases is vast.

Yet at the same time, for many leaders, 2024 has seen something of a lowering of expectations in terms of how soon, and to what extent, GenAI will add real value to our businesses.

Gartner’s recent webinar - GenAI One Year Later: What's Next for HR Leaders? – highlighted this change in sentiment across HR leaders. While in May 2023, 76% of those surveyed felt that adopting GenAI within the next 12-24 months would be essential in order not to fall behind competitors, by January 2024 just 35% still felt the same way.

Perhaps this drop in enthusiasm was an inevitable result of the so-called “Hype Cycle”, where inflated expectations about a new disruptive technology quickly peak, then give way to disillusionment as the reality of implementing at meaningful scale and overcoming technical, regulatory and cultural challenges sets in.

Nonetheless, work still continues apace across organisations to develop AI strategy and experiment with pilots and proofs of concept, while also creating the necessary governance, privacy and security infrastructure to ensure safety.? We in HR have a key role to play in this work, guiding our business leaders on risks related to AI-driven bias and discrimination, employee data privacy and future job displacement and skilling implications.?

It’s also an exciting time for us as HR professionals to use our own insight and imagination to identify the biggest opportunities to transform our own discipline.? As an L&D specialist I am particularly excited about how we’ll be able to respond so much more rapidly to deliver new learning content to meet urgent skill needs and take cost, complexity and time out of the usually laborious design and development process.? I can’t wait to experiment with interactive AI-powered simulations, responsive AI feedback and coaching and increasingly individualised and adaptive learning journeys.

If you’re looking for a clear and accessible summary of the state of AI in HR, the key developments to look out for, and practical actions you can take in your organisation, this webinar from Gartner is a great place to start.? Beyond that, I think it’s down to all of us in HR to stay curious, and perhaps a little patient, as our AI-powered future gradually takes shape and as we work out how it will transform the value we bring to our organisations and our employees’ experience.

Chris Pollard , City HR Shadow Board Member & Director | Head of Learning and Development EMEA, Strategic Planning Department - Human Resources?, SMBC Bank International plc ????????????????????