AI is here and everywhere: 3 AI researchers look to the challenges ahead in 2024

HR leaders are interested in understanding and experimenting with AI to reduce resource-intensive processes, eliminate mundane tasks or even co-author HR-related content or documentation. 63% of HR leaders aim to use generative AI for improving efficiency and improving the employee experience (52%), among other goals (see figure). The first step in assessing a new technology trend, such as generative AI, is to distinguish any myths from reality and eliminate any preconceptions. The HR technology lead should work with IT, legal, compliance, and industry and subject matter experts to understand the true potential of the technology and report back to the HR leadership team and the CHRO. AI is poised to change the future of HR forever, disrupting established views of work, talent, roles and skills. But what if I, as the employee, can query, “Who are five success models with my strengths and weaknesses, and what have they gone on to do?

An AI-powered talent analytics framework, for instance, requires permission to view staff compensation and performance documentation, which, if breached, could have serious consequences for the worker and the organization. VR can also be used to train employees in the interpersonal skills that will be needed as they progress in their careers. Virtual reality (VR) training can help prepare workers for challenging circumstances wherein there is more than one right way to act, but they still have to conform to the company’s values or guidelines. With the help of virtual reality, you can recreate a real-world setting and let new employees rehearse processes until they are comfortable. In the real world, where everything alters depending on the learner’s actions, VR fosters that essential repetition factor.

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Variables can be adjusted to predict the many possible outcomes of an action. Let’s say that the data indicates that your most standout achievers feel disengaged. AI in HR lets you assess the impact of promotions and learning initiatives on metrics like engagement and attrition.

AI will not only become ubiquitous across the employee lifecycle, it will also form part of the workforce that HR needs to manage. Currently, the workforce consists of traditional employees, gig workers, vendors, or contractors who conduct the work. In the future, HR will also need to manage co-bots working with employees to get work done. This, in turn, enables HR professionals to develop targeted training programs and solid succession plans so that their workforce is ready to meet future business needs. That being said, the field of HR will not be immune to the effects of adopting AI and automation. Unsurprisingly, more repetitive and less complex jobs are vulnerable to automation, while roles that require problem-solving are less likely to be automated.

Integration and compatibility with existing HR systems

“Employees benefit from greater visibility into work opportunities and options to build skills and experiences toward career growth. Managers or project leaders benefit from more flexible staffing and improved talent visibility.” AI will have an effect on the work conducted by the HR function, across the employee life cycle. This impact includes HR operations and service delivery, recruiting, learning and development, and talent management. In a first step, AI will lead to new sets of employee expectations about how employees interact with HR and HR technologies.

PwC followed its own advice five years ago in looking at the digital literacy and skills of all 55,000 of its U.S. workers. A “gamified” app asked workers whether they knew about and used alternate reality, virtual reality, big data and more, with prizes awarded for high scores. Workers then took a course to learn more and could post a badge on LinkedIn when they passed. (The average before the training course was around 150 to 175, Dua says.) The company offered a week off for everyone in early July if the goal was met. HR needs to change its recruiting and hiring practices and build digital skills among current employees, says Suneet Dua, products and technology chief revenue and growth officer at PwC. Our HR editorials undergo rigorous vetting by HR and legal experts, ensuring accuracy and compliance with relevant laws.

When supervisors have insights based on data about their team members, they can be far more tactical when it comes to improving performance, development of skills, and career planning. In learning and development (L&D) programs, AI plays a role in personalizing learning experiences, identifying skill gaps, recommending relevant training, and tracking progress. AI can assist in employee performance evaluation and management by analyzing data on employee activities, identifying patterns, and providing insights for both performance management and improvement.

Internet retailers embraced FACStamps for videos and images of their products. Individuals soon followed, using FACStamps to sell goods online — when potential buyers are judging a used pickup truck or secondhand sofa, it’s reassuring to know that the image wasn’t spun out or scrubbed up by AI. Such is the HR sector where AI has become handy and is used to carry out extensive operations.

For all of its advances, AI is still a relatively new technology that will continue to evolve. Its biggest weakness at present is that it can only yield data from a preset repository. If the data within that repository is incomplete or false, the results the AI tool provides will also be. The instantaneous, thorough service employees receive from AI-powered chatbots is ushering in a new era for HR.

One big area of advancement in AI over the last few years has been natural language processing. Now that human communications, which are mostly in natural language, can be used as data sets, expect to see big improvements in predictive analytics using natural language. HR teams can also leverage conversational AI post-hire to answer employee questions quickly and efficiently, automating employee inquiries and support. By automating these tasks, chatbots can free up HR managers’ time, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives and employee engagement. By using AI to gather and organize employee support data, HR teams can also more effectively gain insights and make changes to benefit their employees.

AI technologies like chatbots, recommendation engines, and data dashboards are becoming increasingly commonplace in modern workplaces – and that’s great news for all. But you need to consider some things when dealing with HR data, according to Forbes Council Member Anand Inandar, CEO and Product Owner of technology company Ameobids. He states that there are two things you should remain mindful of when HR professionals lean on AI-powered data analytics.

Putting together effective project teams will be a key for company success, says Jeanne Meister, executive vice president of Executive Networks, a San Francisco-based membership organization for senior HR leaders. She expects more companies to create internal talent marketplaces to facilitate that goal. But Peter Cappelli thinks companies are unlikely to prioritize employee career growth. In addition, average tenures have declined and time spent on training workers has fallen to about half a day per year.

Moreover, AI can enhance the candidate experience by automating routine tasks, providing timely feedback and transparent communication throughout recruitment. AI-driven platforms can inform candidates about their application status and provide personalized feedback, resulting in a more positive and engaging experience for potential employees. Importantly, these kinds of changes stand to impact how hiring platforms are designed. Addressing bias in the development of algorithms can head off exclusionary practices from the start of the hiring process, instead of working to make up for mistakes and blind spots after they show themselves. Experts say this could make a real difference, as they point to the importance of creating inclusive teams at the development stage of AI technology to help all workers have an equal chance to advance.

• On top of that, nearly half of employees surveyed believe the work they do is far more important than who they work for or who they work with regularly.
• Integrating AI into your training program requires significantly more than, for example, installing a few modules on your LMS.
• Managers need to consider data security and storage, especially regarding GDPR requirements and the skills needed to use AI effectively,” Spadavecchia says.
• The rise of hybrid work will likely lead to smaller headquarters, especially as real estate leases expire, giving companies the ability to move.

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