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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