'It can become quite counterintuitive without appropriate monitoring': Canadian HR leaders discuss how 'robot sidekicks' free up time for more strategic work
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally altering the landscape of human resources, evidenced recently by IBM’s replacement of “hundreds” of HR employees with AI automation tools – only to restaff in other areas shortly thereafter.
Arvind Krishna, IBM’s CEO, confirmed the company’s use of AI to automate the work of several hundred HR employees, with the AskHR agent now handling 94 per cent of routine HR tasks such as pay statements and vacation requests, according to the Wall Street Journal.
However, Krishna added that the trimming of HR staff has left room for “investment in other areas”, telling WSJ that IBM has been able to increase hiring in programming and sales, and more in “critical thinking” roles such as marketing and software engineering.
While automation has traditionally targeted repetitive, routine tasks, AI is now encroaching on non-routine work as well. As Ozgur Turetken, professor of IT management at Toronto Metropolitan University, explains, even tasks requiring judgment, analysis and creativity are increasingly subject to automation.
Essentially, knowledge workers – previously thought to be safe from traditional automation – are now faced with existential questions.
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