Happy Friday! With everyone screaming about generative AI, we’re feeling a bit nostalgic for the workplace technology of yore—the fax machine, dot matrix printers, and good old email (especially the one you’re currently reading). What’s the one piece of retro workplace tech you miss most?
In today’s edition:
AI just can’t
Starting up
We hear ya
—Adam DeRose, Sam Blum
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Francis Scialabba
Corporate America is grappling with generative AI technology. Nine out of 10 employers are eyeing a workforce with “ChatGPT experience.” Some companies have jumped in with both feet, while others worry about the tool and are banning its use at work or while using company hardware and networks.
Proponents say bans protect sensitive or proprietary information, as execs worry that employees will reference trade secrets or client info while querying the AI.
JPMorgan Chase. The bank has restricted employee use of ChatGPT, Jennifer Lavoie, global technology media relations rep, confirmed to HR Brew in an email. Lavoie pointed to remarks from CEO Jamie Dimon in the bank’s 2022 shareholder report highlighting company efforts to imagine new ways to incorporate generative AI into employee practices in the future.
And the list goes on.—AD
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Almanac
Adam Nathan is convinced that modern knowledge work is broken. Between the influx of messages that flood workers’ screens on Slack, the constant toggling between documents and comments left in track changes, and meetings in perpetuity, Nathan believes it’s harder than ever for knowledge workers to achieve meaningful productivity. That’s why he started Almanac, a document collaboration platform where all communication on a project can be housed in a central hub. Since its founding in 2019, the company has raised $45 million from a variety of investors, including Leore Avidar and Indicator Ventures.
Nathan spoke with HR Brew about his thoughts on the issues pervading modern workflows and how he hopes to make a difference for organizations big and small.
What product or service does your company offer?
Almanac is a structured collaboration platform for modern teams, or really for remote teams. At its core, it’s a document editor, but it has workflows and version control to help automate basic types of collaboration, like getting feedback, or approvals, or making suggestions. So, you can work across time zones without meetings.
What specific issue in HR does your company tend to solve? Keep reading.—SB
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Francis Scialabba
The generative AI hype train made a whistle stop at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on May 4 to discuss potential dangers the new technology could pose for the workforce and society. During the meeting, President Biden spoke with the CEOs of prominent tech companies, including Microsoft and Google.
While some HR leaders tiptoe around the use of tools such as ChatGPT at work, other companies, like AllVoices, are already experimenting with the tech, automating certain processes as part of an effort to eliminate gruntwork and pare down budgets. And then there are the companies who’ve made the choice to ban the tool altogether.
We asked HR Brew readers whether or not they’re hesitant to adopt generative AI to increase productivity, or if they’re ready to dive into the tech. Among respondents, 19% answered that generative AI was not for them, 38% said they were somewhat hesitant, and the majority (43%) said they can’t wait for the generative AI revolution to begin.
A boon for productivity? Some studies have suggested that relying on generative AI for certain tasks can boost organizational productivity. As a recent report from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows, customer-service agents at a Fortune 500 software company resolved customer issues nearly 14% faster per hour when consulting a version of ChatGPT For lower-skilled workers, the resolution rate increased 35% per hour.
Relying on generative AI to boost productivity also poses risks to workers, namely outright replacing them: Research from Goldman Sachs economists predicts that generative AI could displace as many as 300 million workers globally. The same report surmised that the tech could boost global GDP by as much as 7% over the next decade.
AI for HR. There is already an abundance of generative AI tools on the market meant distinctly for HR departments. As HR tech analyst Josh Bersin recently explained to HR Brew, the impact will be most closely felt in recruiting, career development, and employee self-service.—SB
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Today’s top HR reads.
Stat: 77% of digital workers surveyed in the US, UK, India, and China want to participate in creating their organization’s hybrid work model. (Gartner)
Quote: “My peers who use their vacation days and set their out-of-office reply—I am their biggest cheerleader…But it is so hard to put that into practice for myself.”—Stephanie McCarty, a CMO in the real estate industry, talking about work-life balance (the Wall Street Journal)
Read: Recent graduates who want remote jobs in tech might find out that those jobs are harder to get than they used to be. (WorkLife)
Final call: Our Difficult Conversations at Work sprint kicks off on Monday. Lock in your seat now and get ready to master the art of those tough topics you’ve been avoiding. (Register)
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With layoffs in the US, tech hiring is surging in Latin America.
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CEO Bob Iger told investors that Florida’s actions toward the company have him asking whether the state really wants Disney’s business.
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This company is incentivizing employees to exercise by offering free workout classes that they can get paid to attend before work.
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CNN staffers expressed dismay at the network’s town hall with former President Trump.
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Catch up on the top HR Brew stories from the recent past:
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