Unicorns and mythology in HR: demystifying AI
Is artificial intelligence (AI) going to advance as fast as it is thought, or will it take time to become part of the business fabric and its practical application in HR?
This and several other questions were addressed in the webinar “Unicorns and mythology: demystifying AI” with the panelists: María Beunza, CEO at HumanAI Tech, Diego Montenegro, CEO of Hemisferios University, Alex Uriarte, Director of People and Culture at IED and the moderator and organizer of the session, Álvaro Galán Ocampo Senior, Product Marketing Manager at Sage, a company focused on providing technology solutions for companies and facilitating professional life in accounting, billing and human resources tasks.
AI in HR: great enthusiasm, little application
Despite the great enthusiasm surrounding AI, its breakthrough into the business fabric remains limited, according to Álvaro. He highlighted data that illustrate this gap between the high investment in AI research and development and its current limited practical application in organizations. According to data presented, by 2023, investment in artificial intelligence reached $92 billion, yet only 5% of HR leaders reported having AI solutions implemented, while 60% engage in discussions about the possibilities of AI in their companies. This disparity raises the question: will AI advance as fast as predicted?
Diego highlighted another gap: that between the rapid evolution of human intelligence simulation and our linear cognitive growth. “One of the biggest challenges is to understand how we are going to incorporate AI in HR, what scope it is going to have and how it is going to benefit the person, who should be at the center,” said Montenegro.
Experts noted that while AI has been the subject of growing interest, its true scope has only just begun to be glimpsed. In 2023, “the veil has been lifted, and there is now a lot of interest in AI. But AI has been in the works for many years, there’s a lot of investment behind it, and we’ve started to see just the beginning of a scope that’s going to change the whole paradigm in people management,” Alex noted. “Generative AI has made some people think that AI is magic but no, it’s science, it’s technology and there are practical applications,” says Maria, CEO of Human AI Tech.
Strategic importance: people and technology
The fusion of technology with organizational culture and purpose is fundamental to take advantage of the strategic impact of AI, so “beyond the enthusiasm, what is the strategic importance of the application of AI in organizations? Where does it fit in terms of the culture and purpose of organizations? Does it have utility? What impact can it have on issues of leadership, creativity…?”, Ocaña said.
The first paradigm in technology organizations, according to the Manager of the University of the Hemispheres, is to continue to have a people-centric culture. He argues that people are not simply an area within organizations, but constitute the essence of their culture. In this sense, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies must be integrated into the organizational culture, which must always have people at its core. This approach therefore implies a change of mindset: technology and AI are not merely activities or areas within an organization, but cross-cutting elements that drive and affect the entire organization and all the people within it. Leaders promote a purpose, and the organization’s DNA must be imbued with ethics, values, social responsibility, and now also the adoption of technologies, innovation and creativity.
Alex Uriarte emphasizes that the adoption of technologies must have a positive impact, contributing to the progress of the organization and people. He proposes that we should be “technology drivers”, incorporating it as an integral part of our processes. He talks about learning, change management, culture and people, and argues that these should be our business and should be on the agenda of all organizations.
Collaboration or substitution?
On the question of collaboration or replacement, several questions were raised: will technology replace us, how do we partner with AI, will we be able to make use of collaboration with technology to help us go further together?
It’s a fact, technological advancement is ever accelerating. “There are many techno-skeptics in organizations,” says Diego, “we also have those who want to learn and there are those who have already incorporated this technology. Technology can be the glue that can unite in a network the different departments, areas and watertight compartments that we sometimes have in organizations. There will be tasks that can be replaceable, but human creativity plus the creativity of machines – in quotation marks – will generate super-creativity”.
Maria added that resistance to change has always existed and that fear of substitution is human. However, “as we learn more, we eliminate fear, because fear paralyzes. That is why it is necessary to inform, train and demonstrate. It is important to ask questions, to cultivate our critical spirit in order to know how to supervise. Knowledge and judgment will continue to make a difference, and these technological tools will make us better and will suggest many new approaches. AI will make mistakes, in fact, it makes them, that’s why the role of the human as a supervisor and, in a way, responsible for everything that happens is necessary.”
It is crucial to understand where AI can be a great partner in building a better model and better welfare for people.
HUMAN AI Tech’s technology
In your work at Human AI – says Álvaro – in relation to companies that acquire or are considering acquiring your artificial intelligence, how do you perceive the response when you present them the capabilities provided by your AI?
“We offer services that are possible thanks to technology, technology is an instrument to generate value. When people understand an application and in our case that it helps them decide better, they gain a lot of time, that allows them to make decisions and do analysis with predictions even but also adapt and personalize… when they see the value it brings them and they see the time savings it brings in terms of efficiency, they see it positively. Then the esoteric magic part – “this gets it right!” – as they say, they’re surprised and they’re reassured.”
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