AI and Talent Sustainability: Putting Heartware In Hardware
A glimpse into an Artificial Intelligence-driven world was first manifested nearly 65 years ago in The Jetsons, a hugely popular American animated sitcom in the 1960s about a family living in an utopian future. They live in a house in the sky, work three days a week, and drive aero cars that look like flying saucers. They use video calls, smartwatches, chatbots, flat-screen TV, voice 3-D printers and a robotic maid named Rosie.
Who knew that this futuristic primetime TV show foreshadowed aspects of everyday life that would become part of our daily reality today?
And yet … There is still a reluctance to fully embrace AI, which gained popularity in social media around 2010. But it was only in 2023 that AI became mainstream. The truth is we have been using AI-driven technology for decades. Autopilot systems have been flying airplanes; industries such as the arts, advertising, films, fashion, architecture, interior decor, healthcare, geology, manufacturing etc have been using multiple software to enhance their work; robotic surgeries are now the norm in the US, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Japan.
But when proponents started showing fully AI-generated Picasso artworks, Japanese manga and anime content, the controversy surrounding human talent vs AI created a tsunami of reactions.
Fear of the unknown, job security concerns, privacy security issues, ethical and moral questions, the digital divide are among the reasons cited for the reluctance to embrace AI.
TIME magazine’s special edition of “100 Most Influential People in AI” in 2023 and 2024, which spotlight views of global movers and shakers from multi-sector industries, is proof that the race to push AI beyond today’s limits is just beginning.
Weekly Sparks talks to three diverse Women of the World (WOW) members for their professional insights in human talent sustainability in the Age of AI: the impact on their field of work, values and beliefs, their preparedness as well as measures to weather the challenges and changes in an AI world. A recurring refrain in their response: we need to educate ourselves to better understand AI; and if used appropriately and ethically, AI can positively impact our lives professionally and personally.
Sabrina (Sam) Tamayo is currently the Managing Director of Ribbonfish, an end-to-end technology consultancy that specialises in Salesforce for its operations in Manila. She is also the founder and executive director of Project SMILE, a youth-led NGO established in the Philippines in 2018, overseeing a network of more than 600 members and collaborating with early-stage social impact start-ups to improve the lives of poverty-stricken Filipinos. To-date, over 50,000 Filipinos have benefitted from Project SMILE initiatives.
Sam: It's important to remember that AI is a tool created by humans. Its impact on diversity and inclusion ultimately depends on how individuals choose to use it.
On the positive side, AI can reduce human biases in recruitment by evaluating candidates based on objective criteria like skills and experience. This can lead to a more diverse workplace where decisions are driven by merit rather than personal prejudices.
However, if not carefully designed and monitored, AI systems can inadvertently perpetuate existing biases found in the data they are trained on, resulting in the exclusion of underrepresented groups and worsening inequality. It all boils down to ethical and responsible implementation.
AI has significantly enhanced my work in many ways. Case in point: I use tools like ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas and CapCut to create high-quality videos. These technologies have made me more efficient and effective in fulfilling my responsibilities.
But AI cannot fully replicate the human elements that are crucial to my profession. Creativity, intuition, and the ability to build meaningful bonds are aspects that AI simply cannot match. These qualities rely on insight, empathy, and experience which remain irreplaceable by machines.
In an AI-driven world, staying relevant means staying ahead of the curve. With new tools emerging every day, the key is to identify the ones that best fit the task at hand. As for myself, I try my best to conduct research and test what I am most comfortable using. It’s important to actively seek out and experiment with AI tools relevant to your field and to learn how to integrate them into your daily workflows. In short, AI has the potential to empower anyone, but only if it's used wisely.
Fostering a mindset of flexibility and resilience is crucial for managing the changes AI brings. Instead of viewing it as a threat, treat it as an opportunity for growth. There is an abundance of avenues that you can explore to be more informed in this area – from online courses hosted by leading professionals to in-person conferences organised by local organisations and communities. By being adaptable and open to new ways of thinking and working, you can thrive in an AI-driven world.
I don’t think my job is at risk. A wise woman once said, “AI won’t take your job, but people using AI will,” and I believe this perfectly captures how we should approach AI. While AI might surpass the average person in certain tasks, humans possess irreplaceable qualities and behaviors. For instance, algorithms can analyze what drives engagement, leading to higher interaction rates, but it’s personal connections that build lasting business relationships beyond one-time transactions.
Catherine Ward has over 30 years multi-sector experience in human resources with roles on the executive boards of international organisations across the Middle East, Africa, South America and Europe including Chief People Officer, board advisor and mentor. She launched UK-based People Perception Ltd (PPL) in 2018. Her consultancy work focused on looking holistically at all dimensions of the commercial drivers, HR strategy and organisation culture – and working with the key stakeholders to help define a new or revised HR strategy. Her main focus now is working as a Non-Executive Director with Boards in the public and private sector.
Catherine: AI is increasingly being used in HR to manage the administrative aspects of recruitment advertising, candidate sourcing, initial selection, and communications with candidates for permanent and part-time roles. It is also used in workforce management to align candidates to available work.
AI can automate a lot of basic administration activity as well as streamline and document processes for talent management. But, at present, long-term talent development and the creation of sustainable talent pipelines require a higher level of attention, insight, understanding and tailored care, which can only be provided by line managers and talent experts. They are able to scan the longer term strategies and direction of the business, bring insight on the current strengths and potential of their talent pools, and assess both the macro and individual interventions needed to ensure a robust succession pipeline which will meet future business needs.
However, there is a real risk of unintended workplace biases which can creep in unless companies are vigilant. For example, there is already some evidence that algorithm-driven pre-selection processes can work against older workers. It should be a clear responsibility of those introducing AI into talent processes first to rigorously test them against bias.
AI can be empowering – taking away low value administrative and repetitive work. It can also generate content quickly, which can then be assessed and reviewed for suitability, or used as a base point for further development.
What AI cannot do is ‘think outside the box’ – it works on the basis of learning by using vast levels of content within existing boxes. In music (one of my passions), it is evident that AI can write music to shop to, or wait to catch a flight to. But music with the ability to reach deep into your emotions is written from a profound and nuanced understanding of the human experience, and this lies well outside the range of AI. In the same way AI cannot replicate the wisdom, experience, and ability to weigh interpersonal complexities required of a senior manager to manage talent decisions successfully.
I am not fully prepared for AI, nor do I think most people are. My job is not currently at risk as high-level advice and insight have not yet been replaced by AI. We need more educating on how AI actually works so that we can use it for good, drive it proactively, and not simply adjust to having it implemented around us without fully understanding the implications. But we need to understand it well in order to use it well and wisely. Keep self-educating yourself and remain knowledgeable about what AI is and can do, so that you can use it, or challenge its use, constructively and thoughtfully.
Kerri Houseman is currently Head of Client Services of BJSS, a global technology and software engineering consultancy headquartered in the UK. Her career DNA is grounded in supporting companies and the public sector gaining maximum value from their IT investments, embracing sustainable change and delighting their consumers.
Kerri: There is no silver bullet to how we can achieve talent sustainability in the Age of AI. Technologists must commit, as they have always done, to continually nurturing talent as technologies advance. A heightened emphasis must be given to the understanding, application and processing of such capabilities, including the governance surrounding its use, to ensure human intelligence will always succeed in bringing consciousness to the forefront of its impact, eliminating cultural bias and managing ethical adoption.
In consultancy, there has always been a need to stay ahead of technological development. This is why consultants get brought in, to ensure organisations are absorbing the latest in tech evolution, that they reap the benefits of automation and that over and above, blue sky and strategic thinking provides differentiation and competitive edge.
Historically, technology has always driven efficiency. Generally, we are accepting of computing being able to process increasing amounts of transactions based on exploding amounts of data. Now Generative AI is providing vast improvements in the quantity and quality of code being generated and Large Language Models are driving efficiencies in operating practices however, the way that future problems can be addressed with innovative solutions will continue to be high in demand.
We understand the processes that are undertaken — the translation of a language through machine code down to logic gates which have been precisely specified and artificially created. Therefore, whilst what machine learning does is complicated, it can be explained and understood. AI will increase the bar in consulting. No longer will succinct, well-constructed sentences be a sign of quality, no longer will summarized strategic content show added value. AI is already highlighting the need for human differentiation.
Computers are not conscious. They are not innovative. They only know what they are told. Governance is key to AI’s long term success. The risk of not incorporating appropriate human intelligence in the forefront of AI output poses significant risk to the beneficial impact it will have on future generations. The challenge of how to manage talent in this era is not a new one but there needs to be investment into talent nurturing alongside technology advances, always.
We collectively have an obligation to embed the advantages that development brings unilaterally and mindfully. For example, it is wholly unacceptable for the rich to get richer and exclusively benefit from the consumption of the latest and greatest that tech evolution brings. So I find it exceptionally heartwarming to see the strides that different regions and cultures globally are making in adopting and benefitting from such technologies, but we have a collective responsibility to ensure that everyone can not only benefit from advantages of advancing tech but that they can also develop talent alongside – adding the human element by critically evaluating, thinking outside the box and identifying solutions to new problems (whilst simultaneously benefitting from solutions already defined).
The AI Era has begun. The reluctance to embrace it is not insurmountable. Understanding the possibilities of what AI can do for us and to us is key in demystifying AI. More importantly, we shouldn’t lose sight of the need to firmly fasten Heartware to Hardware to create a more impactful human connection and to sustain talent onwards.
“AI Won’t Replace Humans – But Humans with AI Will Replace Humans Without AI,” commented Karim Lakhani, a professor at Harvard Business School who specialises in workplace technology and particularly AI.
Debbie | ws
More info:
Time 100 Most Influential People in AI 2023|Time 100 Most Influential People in AI 2024|Harvard Business Review: AI Won’t Replace Humans|Why People Tend To Not Embrace AI| Catherine Ward|Sabrina (Sam) Tamayo