Bytes of Kindness
In the evolving landscape of modern workplaces, the synergy between human resources and technology has become increasingly crucial. How we integrate advancements in technology, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence, rapidly redefines employee experiences across nearly every facet of our organizations. While such innovations can provide efficient, personalized solutions for the betterment of productivity and well-being alike, misuse of these technologies can yield the exact opposite outcome, as suggested by this Wall Street Journal video from 6 years ago—before today’s breakneck pace of automation integration.
As we lean more on advanced technologies, we must similarly increase our scrutiny of them and question their promised efficiencies against our desire for effectiveness. This concern has become even more concerning today, as asserted in the video below by TIME. Certain HR uses of these technologies have resulted in unintended biases—the very thing they were meant to mitigate. Comparably alarming is the ever-decreasing—yet still so vital—human element.
While the human element seems undervalued compared to the vast ocean of fascination received by AI, it remains irreplaceable. Careless application of advanced technologies within organizations and teams foments disconnect and disengagement, both of which are easily rectifiable by authentic expressions of human intelligence—our emotional intelligence. While that organic intelligence cannot be replaced, if done correctly and empathetically, it can be augmented, as discussed in this podcast with Google’s Dart Lindsley and Marlene De Koning, Director of PwC Nederland’s HR Tech & Digital team.
Artificial intelligence has proven its value in helping us learn complex topics and specialized skills, but it may also be able to enhance our easily overlooked soft skills. Indeed, certain artificial intelligence uses, such as the model being designed by SurePeople around the revolutionary Prism® psychometric algorithm, can help us practice and polish our emotional intelligence, subsequently helping us all be a bit more human.
Ultimately, our teams and organizations are made up of people, and that essential element shouldn’t be neglected. Through care and diligence, we can bridge the divide between technology and humanity, cultivating an environment wherein both productivity and empathy thrive.
“Our intelligence is what makes us human, and AI is an extension of that quality. Artificial intelligence is extending what we can do with our abilities. In this way, it’s letting us become more human.”
– Yann LeCun
Author
by Faraz Gafoor
Faraz Gafoor is a content strategist, writer, and human-data aficionado. His passion for scientific analysis of everything—from the presentation of data to the way we communicate—is driven by a deep love of understanding how we process and make sense of our surroundings. His curiosity and a never-ending search for prolific and poetic perfection poignantly fit his Prism Personality of a double Scientist.
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