Artificial Intelligence and Employment
The practical application and implementation of Artificial Intelligence across a broad range of industries and operational units has become one of the most talked about and intriguing topics over the last year. The broad deployment and distribution of easily accessible tools like ChatGPT, Bing AI, ClickUp, Writesonic, etc. have put a whole new toolbox into the hands of business professionals in a myriad of roles. With this comes the promise of new efficiencies and a reduction in potentially repetitive, standardized tasks. However, these automation tools have raised concerns regarding the degree to which they may endanger job security and lead to the exacerbation of bias in screening and hiring practices.
Recent surveys conducted by the American Staffing Association have indicated that a nearly 75% majority of adults in the United States are concerned that the increasing implementation of AI in the workplace will lead to increased unemployment and diminished job security. Further, the study found that 47% of those currently employed fear that their work could easily be performed by AI technology. This is a sharp increase from a similar 2017 survey that showed nearly the opposite ratios. At that time, 73% of survey respondents indicated that they were confident that Artificial Intelligence could not perform their job duties.
While the concerns about AI’s impact on unemployment and job security have strongly shifted over the past 5 years, the survey results indicated that participants are currently split with regard to the effect automation will have on their careers in general. 27% of the respondents believe that automation will be beneficial while 26% indicated they feared it will create significant disruption.
These concerns extend into hiring as well. Survey data shows that nearly half of American job seekers believe that AI recruiting tools are more biased than work done by traditional employees. Digging deeper into the survey results, anxiety over AI bias is strongest (43%) in those that are actively seeking or considering a job change as opposed to participants that reported no immediate plans to change employment (29%).
Curiously, although job seekers are clearly skeptical of inequities in Artificial Intelligence used in recruiting and hiring, the study showed that 39% of those same job seekers had made at least some use of AI in their own job search. The study found a noteworthy demographic disparity in the use of AI tools by those seeking to change jobs. The highest usage was among Hispanic and Black adults (36% and 34% respectively), compared to only a 17% adoption rate by White Americans.
These studies and their somewhat conflicting data points indicate that job seekers are well aware of the increasing prevalence and effectiveness of AI within hiring and the workplace at large. While they demonstrate a level of comfort with the use of AI tools to manage their own work and enhance their job search, they remain highly concerned that left unchecked, those very same tools will have a negative impact on both hiring and long term job security. These concerns are not unfounded. Indeed, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has begun to issue guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence when screening potential employees.
It is clear that while AI and related advances are not perfect, the prospects for exponentially higher efficiency and productivity mean this technology is here to stay. However, technology and tools are only as good as the human element that is overseeing their use and application. It is therefore critically important for each organization and their internal leadership to ensure that these tools are being deployed and used effectively, while continuing to monitor for signs of bias or adverse impact resulting from their implementation.
This post is locked to comments.
