The Impact Of AI/Machine Learning On Workforce Capability: Advanced HR/L&D Mindset And Skill Set
The Automation era which has been called the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ – is driving new ways of doing business often at the cost of traditional businesses. When it comes to emerging technologies, numerous companies including Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and many more are investing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it is said to be the future. With an increasing speculation of mass disruption of job roles, in the next 10 – 20 years, will there be anyone left for Learning and Development to train and develop? What does the future hold for HR/L&D professionals and how can we best adapt to the coming changes?
At LearningCafe and CapabilityCafe, we believe that the application of AI/ML will reshape the job market and will eventually create smarter jobs and roles that we can’t even imagine today. Reskilling the workforce and reforming learning and career models will play a critical role in facilitating this change.
Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning: New Drivers Of Employment And Organizational Learning
We are on the brink of this new era, where humans and technology are so interconnected that we are unable to achieve outcomes without them. As AI continues to grab media headlines, we try to survey its practical use in business and workplace learning. Is the fear of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) surpassing human capability justified? What are the uniquely human capabilities that only we can provide and what will this new world bring in terms of the creation of new roles for HR? How can L&D support the rapid and complex learning needs in this new automated environment?
Our recent survey on our webinar on Impact of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning on Workforce Capability highlights the effects of new and emerging technologies like AI/ML and what this will require of HR/L&D teams. Our survey also reflects some of the possible future implications of AI/ML assistance in our day to day work. We surveyed 65 Learning and Development and HR Professionals.
- 56% feel that AI/ML will substantially or moderately impact their job in the next 2 years.
- The survey also found that 57% said they know very little about AI/ML and how it could change the way they do business.
- 55% feel AI/ML will partially replace HR/L&D, while 19% feel they could be completely over powered by it.
- 39% feel AI/ML will affect HR/L&D the most in tasks related to making recommendations about learning and job roles, whereas 27% feel AI/ML will supersede them in embedding learning in the workplace. While the stats naturally represent the impact of AI/ML on HR/L&D roles, it also predicts a decline in the number of professionals to be employed.
- 38% said experimenting with Al is the best way HR/L&D can tackle its influence, followed by 25% who felt teaming up with AI experts in the business is a better way forward.
Summary
- Our survey shows that the advances in technologies like AI/ML have the potential to realign jobs and learning models which will have a direct impact on how HR/L&D functions.
- The survey found that very few know what AI/ML can actually do and how it could disrupt or augment their jobs.
- Our respondents think AI/ML assistance can be successfully integrated by collaborating with AI experts that know its practical application in the business. While others put a greater emphasis on experimenting with AI that encourages adaptability to newer technologies.
- A majority of our respondents believe that AI/ML will partially or completely replace their roles, we think the future of HR/L&D will comprise of digitally smart professionals working hand in hand with AI/ML automated solutions.
- Many respondents feel AI/ML will most likely control the analytics space by making recommendations or reporting on the recruitment and learning front. While few feel there could be a higher level of intelligence assistance on repetitive and time-consuming administrative tasks.
- Shifting mindsets, re-skilling, learning and career development will play a critical role in facilitating this change. The question still remains: Will this be provided by the traditional internal Learning and Development team or some other model?