The other day, it really hit home for me — a potential client mentioned that they didn’t really need one of the workshops I was proposing, since they could just have ChatGPT generate the content for them and put it into slides.
I was a bit defensive, but then I realized... they were right. I can just type “give me a presentation and facilitator’s guide for a feedback workshop” into a generative AI tool, and get 80% of the content I would have created on my own.
We can still get creative and put a unique spin on different workshop topics that AI can’t (yet), and there’s still plenty of demand for live facilitation. But this was a wakeup call for me that I needed to have a more intentional perspective on AI and how it is shaping the future of our field.
Here are 3 of the big questions I’m reflecting on as I dig deeper into AI:
How can we increase people’s literacy around AI? In fifth grade, I watched a video about food commercials, and the tricks they use to make food look good on camera. It gave me a healthy skepticism about what I see on TV that has served me to this day. I had to learn the same skepticism when it came to the internet, to spot scams, phishing, or just urban myths. How do we do something similar with AI, to help people develop their ability to spot the influence of AI when it is misleading?
Where is AI showing up? How is it useful? We need to become experts in the AI landscape, to be advisors and advocates for where, when, and how to use AI in HR and L&D. Some of you are ahead of me here, so I might be picking your brain soon! My personal goal is to learn more about what’s out there, what’s working well, what’s not as good as it seems, and what’s on the horizon for the future.
How do my core values come into play around AI? For me, it’s about thoughtful balance and intentionality. I’m excited about many of the possibilities of AI, and eager to experiment with it. I’m also aware that it’s going to affect many people’s careers and livelihoods, and we need to think about how to support that transition and cushion the impact. And I think that People & Culture will always involve a mix of AI-enabled capabilities as well as the ineffable value of “the human touch.”
Whatever we do with AI, I strongly believe that the most important thing is for us to stay deeply rooted in our humanity, with the authenticity, compassion, and purpose that are core aspects of who we are. Humanity and AI are not opposites, they are complements — and the future will rely on both.
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