Artificial Intelligence in HR
The key to safe and effective use of AI in HR is to ensure that it is used ethically and responsibly. It is indeed an amazingly powerful tool, but the potential for serious legal problems must be guarded against. Some regulations already exist, and more are sure to be on their way. Already, discrimination cases have been brought against employers or recruiters for screening using AI that had a built-in bias regarding race, ethnicity, age, etc. – none of which are legal. One mistake employers can make is to use AI without sufficient oversight. A primary recommendation is that AI be used as a source of recommendations, and not as the final decision-maker. It is incumbent on anyone using AI to monitor its output and guard against bias. Some recommendations to mitigate risk include possibly establishing an internal “AI ethics committee” to review AI processes and outcomes on a regular basis. The data on which an AI program is trained should reflect the company’s values and the environment in which it does business, as opposed to simply using random data.
Another critical aspect is the security of AI data. Privacy must be built into the system from the ground up; patchworks will fail. Tools in this area include data encryption and anonymization plus regular audits. Further, since employee data will likely be used to train the new system, employees must be able to have confidence that their personal data are carefully protected. This has been shown to be a major concern of employees whose companies are implementing an AI system, meaning that employers must also have clear data retention and disposal plans and policies, including length of time data are stored, who has access, and data disposal policies that are clear and secure.
An additional worry employees may have is “FOBO”: Fear of Becoming Obsolete (because of AI). This means that clear communication about the implementation and use of AI is essential to maintaining morale. Additionally, hands-on training can help employees’ comfort level by showing them how AI is a tool to help them rather than to replace them.