Making sense of AI in HR and L&D
Hello there,?
Ready for the next edition of Take5?
This week we're?Making sense of AI in HR and L&D?(well, trying to).
In today's edition:
Making sense of AI in HR & L&D
ChatGPT catapulted AI to the top of our minds when it launched in November. In the US, monthly search volume for the keyword "AI"?trebled?between November and December 2022.
It seems our interest in AI isn't waning. Not least because companies have been able to?integrate with ChatGPT?since March. And just last week, OpenAI added the?Code Interpreter?feature so we can play HR manager slash data scientist.
It's an AI "total eclipse" – every other headline, conversation, or newsletter (sorry ??) includes some mention of AI.?
?But what does this mean in the context of HR and L&D? Are we in the midst of the AI revolution? Or merely at the "Peak of Inflated Expectations" in the ol'?Gartner Hype?Cycle??
The AI reality: Job losses & redundant skills?
Research?by the OECD states that we're on the "brink" of an AI revolution and the jobs with the?highest risk of replacement by AI are skilled jobs (e.g. law, medicine, and finance). Skilled jobs account for around 27% of the workforce in OECD countries.
Despite?isolated examples?of overt job-snatching, many employees seem excited about the benefits AI can bring.
When?31,000 people were asked?to imagine work in 2030,?respondents said they'd most value AI's ability to save them time,?e.g. by?producing high-quality work and learning new skills faster.?
Business leaders are twice as likely to choose "increasing employee productivity" over "reducing headcount"?when asked what they would most value about AI in the workplace.
It's fascinating that people are more excited about AI rescuing them from burnout than they are worried about it eliminating their jobs." –?Adam Grant, Organisational psychology professor
New AI laws & the ethical minefield?
While some companies go full-steam ahead with generative AI –?hiring staff with ChatGPT?expertise and integrating GPT-4 into their workflows – other businesses are?hesitating?due to privacy, security, energy, copyright, and ethical concerns.??
Since 5th July, New York City companies must comply with a?2021 law?that bars the use of AI tools for hiring or promotions unless independently audited for bias.
The EU has also proposed a law?–?the AI Act?–?which will seek to ensure that generative AI:
Stanford researchers?graded?AI models against the AI Act's requirements, revealing 4 key areas where most companies failed: copyrighted data, energy usage, risk mitigation, and evaluation/testing. Amnesty International?criticised the Act, stating it "falls short" of public protection needs and must "close loopholes" on facial recognition.
The Act has the potential to impact companies operating outside the EU due to the "Brussels effect"?– the externalisation of laws outside of EU borders via market mechanisms.
?? AI in Practice: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
According to?Microsoft's?Work Trends Index, employees spend 57% of their time communicating through meetings, emails, and chats. And the number one stated blocker to productivity is inefficient meetings.
We’re all carrying digital debt:?the inflow of data, emails, meetings, and notifications has outpaced our ability to process it all.?
HR and L&D teams play a pivotal role in helping employees to flourish amidst information overload, by providing them with relevant, accessible, and easily discoverable information.
If the business is on board,?AI can help HR & L&D teams to:
Josh Bersin?thinks?an AI-centric HCM system could help us understand the role of "skills, culture, diversity, pay, and other factors on improvements in hiring, development, internal mobility, job design, productivity, and growth."
We're all still figuring it out. But there appear to be benefits that can be realised if we take a curious-yet-critical approach.?
Are you using generative AI at work?
Where do you stand on the adoption and integration of AI at work?
???Take our LinkedIn poll?and tell us what you think.?We'll share the results in two weeks!?
In our last poll:?76% of people said they wouldn't go back to the office if their company issued an RTO mandate. Thank you to everyone who voted.
Other hot takes ??
Feedback & thoughts?
Do you have some interesting news to share? Or is there a theme you'd like us to explore in the next edition of Take5? Get in touch, we'd love to hear from you.
?Thanks for reading! ??