Column: AI and the birthday card
10.07.2024I still remember exactly where I was. It was November 2022 and I was talking with colleagues about the hype that was flooding my LinkedIn feed: ChatGPT. Apparently the new toy from Elon Musk, which a lot of people were very excited about.
My colleague was too. He was the one who opened ChatGPT and showed me for the first time how it worked. I still vividly remember sitting there with my eyes wide open. First of all because of the almost flawless Dutch the chatbot produced, but also because of the versatility and flair with which the bot answered all kinds of questions.
Written by Jeroen Naudts. This text was also published as a column in HRmagazine.
Faster and higher-quality work thanks to AI
In the world of HR, generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini are gradually finding their way in. Although mainly ChatGPT. Accompanied by big promises, as is always the case with new technologies. The first studies were promising. Employees who use AI complete their work forty percent faster and deliver work that is eighteen percent higher in quality. According to the promises, AI would take over all job interviews, handle payroll and even make coffee.
Inflated expectations of AI
As we know from the Gartner hype cycle, new trends reach a peak of inflated expectations after an initial wave of excitement. Following this peak, we debunk the hype and may end up in a trough of disillusionment. From what I hear about how HR is currently experiencing AI, we are right in the middle of this downward spiral.
The end of the AI hype?
The story is not over yet, because after the trough of disillusionment comes a very important phase. Can the hype still find a permanent place or will it remain short-lived? The chance that AI in HR will turn out to be a short-lived hype seems increasingly small to me. There is the video of the father who asked GPT-4o to solve his son's mathematics problem. The video demonstrates that AI can be an enormous help in learning.
Other studies show that AI is becoming a reliable partner. For example, one study shows that AI is a reliable advisory partner for purchasing financial stocks. Moreover, another recent study shows that professionals with strong AI skills earn up to a quarter more.
More technology for more human contact
It is time to see AI as a true partner, with both its advantages and disadvantages. AI will not make coffee for us. But AI is evolving into a valuable partner that helps with HR tasks. This gives us more time for the tasks in which we, as humans, make a positive difference compared to a robot: human interaction and developing creative solutions that meet the needs of our colleagues of flesh and blood.
The power of the birthday card
It is a bit like a birthday card. Fifteen years ago, my cupboard was full of birthday cards. Now there are only a handful left and most wishes arrive through digital channels. But the people who give me a birthday card make the difference compared to that avalanche of digital wishes. Or how human connection once again gains strength under the influence of technology. That is exactly what I wish for HR.