Responsible AI and the Future of Work

There is now true momentum among companies to realize the promise and benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI).?As its use grows, AI is reshaping the composition of work. Widespread automation of routine tasks is creating new skill requirements as humans and machines work side by side. This evolution in job content has outstripped the capacity of traditional skills providers, leaving many companies competing for a critically short supply of qualified talent.

?Now, in the midst of the Great Resignation, record numbers of people are leaving their jobs as the pandemic wanes. The future of work is far different from the past as companies look toward providing highly flexible, personalized work situations and the democratization of career opportunities, regardless of background, physical location or experience level.

?AI plays an important role in the future of work, not just in redefining job content but also in helping companies build their future workforce and use talent as a competitive advantage.?With AI assistance, companies can:

·??????More easily hire on the basis of skills and competencies rather than credentials

·??????Staff by aligning resources to projects and roles that optimize their likelihood of success

·??????Retain talent through individualized working conditions and career paths, and much more.

The opportunity to use AI across people processes is great; but the responsibility is also great to make sure that AI is designed, built and deployed in a manner that is not biased, discriminatory, unfair or unexplainable.?

The well-known example of bias against women in Amazon’s AI-based applicant screening between 2014 and 2017 was the result of Amazon’s models being trained by 10 years of historical applicant data, most of which came from men given the male dominance in the tech industry. ?If the underlying data sets used for training the algorithm are biased, the models are likely to produce biased results.?Discriminatory AI models have been identified in the criminal justice system, influencing how long to sentence a defendant, in whether to approve home loans and in determining the standard of healthcare individuals should receive, just to name a few.

?Responsible AI is so important that a group of the chief executives of large corporations, led by Accenture’s Julie Sweet, recently released a roadmap to guide businesses in the journey.?The roadmap provides a set of principles for businesses to consider, including innovate with and for diversity, mitigate the potential for unfair bias; design for and implement transparency; and invest in a future-ready AI workforce, among others.?But how do companies put these principles into practice?

Responsible AI solutions need the right scaffolding, which Accenture sees as four pillars: organizational, operational, reputational and technical.?(For more on this, see Accenture’s Responsible AI POV.)?Successful organizations recognize the need for new roles, and actively upskill, re-skill or hire. Establishing clear success criteria, incentives, and training helps to cultivate these new roles and skills as well as nurture a Responsible AI culture that empowers individuals to raise concerns over AI systems, without stifling innovation.?

One thing the pandemic has made clear is that the future workplace will look nothing like it did before.?How and where people work is forever changed. New skills are needed and new approaches to finding and leveraging talent are required.?As companies face this challenge, AI that is designed and deployed responsibly can be integral to the solution. Consider this example: A recent Harvard Business School and Accenture study, "Hidden Workers: Untapped Talent," estimates that more than 27 million job candidates in the United States fall into the category of "hidden workers," and similar proportions across the U.K. and Germany. These candidates are hidden from view because of the effects that companies’ policies, practices, and deployment of technology have on their capacity to identify and access various pools of talent. Bias in AI-based recruiting tools continues to be a challenge.?But for those that put responsible AI practices in place, a tremendous pool of candidates suddenly becomes visible. ?

?Accenture delivers AI solutions in all business domains for organizations across the globe. Please contact us to learn more about the practical implementation of Responsible AI practices.?