Q. I’ve read and heard a lot about computer artificial intelligence. Can computers really do human resources functions like recruiting, retention and worker evaluations?
A. There’s a lot of hype in the press about artificial intelligence. Computers are lightning fast and super for some things. However, scientists still don’t understand how the human brain uses electrical signals between billions of brain cells to produce what we call human intelligence. If we don’t understand human intelligence, it’s unlikely a computer programmer can create an artificial intelligence program to do what the human does. We need to adopt a wait and see attitude. Use artificial intelligence for what it can do well, but recognize its limits and be skeptical. The human business manager ultimately has to decide whether what comes out makes sense.
Computer artificial intelligence programs can search hundreds of applicant resumés, and based on pre-programmed criteria and job descriptions, select those for the human resources manager to consider. However, that depends on the pre-programmer selecting the right criteria. The manager had better analyze the criteria skeptically or they may miss the best candidate.
There are artificial intelligence programs that will review a worker’s e-mails, and based on pre-programmed criteria, identify workers who are disgruntled and likely to leave. Again, if the criteria are wrong, the result is garbage. Also, the worker won’t be happy that the business is snooping in their e-mails when they find out. There are privacy issues involved in any artificial intelligence monitoring of workers or customers.
There’s an artificial intelligence program that will analyze how likely a worker is to leave based on criteria like time elapsed since last promotion, time elapsed since last raise, time off taken and numerous other criteria.
Another artificial intelligence program can track how workers use their computer web browsing, e-mails, chat, document and app use. Based on how all of the business’s computers are used, the artificial intelligence calculates a base line for the activities and signals when a particular worker is exceeding base line (such as hours spent on Amazon or malicious activity like repeated failed password entries). The artificial intelligence alerts the business of suspicious activity that may indicate poor productivity and use of time. One multimedia business uses that artificial intelligence program to monitor worker’s work on projects and re-directs the worker when needed. If you use that kind of artificial intelligence monitoring, tell workers in advance they will be monitored and maybe even ask them to sign an acknowledgement of that.
Source: Caller Times
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