Dr. Timothy J. Giardino is the VP of Human Resources at BMC Software.
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As the world continues to buzz with the explosive adoption and disruption of generative AI (GenAI) technology, it seems hard to talk about anything else. From both a personal and professional perspective, keeping up with the latest information remains difficult as more and more use cases are developed and communicated. Even human resources as a function isn't exempt from this revolution, as we seemingly move to something more akin to human intelligence in the wake of opening Pandora’s GenAI box.
Although the art of what's possible continues to evolve, most business leaders are thinking of how GenAI will impact their teams, improve operations and change the nature of the future of work. The good news is that most system providers are already solving this for us and rolling out road maps for many of the systems we use every day.
If your HR technology stack is scheduled to bloom with GenAI over the next several months, you should already be communicating the upcoming changes and what they will mean for those impacted. The more transparent and communicative you are with your workforce, the more likely adoption will grow as fear around the technology declines. The real problem you want to solve here is where your organization will benefit from GenAI the most.
The 2 Types Of Digital Employees
To answer that question, I believe there are two types of digital, GenAI-powered employees from which most companies will benefit.
The Digital Data Scientist
A digital data scientist should focus on organizational business intelligence (BI), such as people or operational data sets. GenAI shines here because it can predict future trends, identify patterns in large datasets and make connections or actionable insights that traditional data analysts might miss—all in a fraction of the time.
Operationally, I believe this application of GenAI technology is one of the largest ROIs for any organization. It empowers employees of any analytical skill level to have human-like interactions with an AI-powered subject matter expert and to get their data questions answered quickly, This greatly enhances the value of organizational BI and delivers more accuracy for leaders’ data-informed decision-making.
The Digital Researcher
After data access democratization, the next area I recommend most organizations focus on is deploying GenAI to make HR routines easy and moments that matter extraordinary. To that end, a digital researcher (or librarian) employee can help simplify volumes of text, such as company intranet pages, policies or benefits information.
GenAI is particularly well suited for this because it can improve existing content or create new content with more natural language and less technical or corporate speak. I believe this is crucial for improving the employee experience. It's a way to provide the right information at the right time while allowing employees to personalize their experiences. Leveraging GenAI-supported self-service helps offload many of the tactical HR questions your workforce may have.
How To Leverage These Digital Employees
Now, the vision for these two GenAI roles isn't just some high-powered chatbot text box. Think of it as a persona—a digital avatar that works 24/7 to support and empower your workforce. Most early GenAI interfaces feel much like a typical chatbot, so your goal is to produce a series of virtual employees that look and feel human. For example, most businesses use web conferencing tools, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, so imagine a web call window with a human avatar speaking and interacting in a natural way.
My favorite example of such an innovative approach is Channel 1 News, which created the first global news network with AI-generated reporters. This incredible feat offers a glimpse into what’s possible within your organization. From content creation to impressive visuals, GenAI is less about replacing human intelligence and more about enhancing what already exists. To take it a step further, beyond a cutting-edge employee experience, you can also leverage your digital employee personas and avatars to help grow diversity and representation digitally across your organization.
In summary, the sudden explosion of GenAI into all facets of life can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Like the dawning of the internet, taking advantage of these technological advances is crucial for future business success. Being thoughtful about where and how to implement GenAI into your business will not only reduce concerns around the technology but also help deliver unprecedented results along the way.
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