IBM Claims It Has Saved 12,000 Hours In Last 18 Months By Using Artificial Intelligence For Automation

At a time when the AI (artificial intelligence) fever is gripping the tech world globally, American tech giant IBM, which is also known as the 'Big Blue,' too, has been reaping its benefits.

In the 10 years or so, IBM has developed several AI tools designed to help businesses run more efficiently and accurately while maximizing productivity. But amid the recent surge in AI's popularity suddenly, IBM's Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Nickle LaMoreaux has revealed many positive developments that the company has witnessed in recent months.

How AI Is Helping IBM

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IBM's CHRO has revealed that internally, A.I. has freed employees from back-office administrative work, allowing them to perform more nuanced work requiring human touch points. LaMoreaux says that, in total, IBM¡¯s HR department has saved close to 12,000 hours in the last 18 months by automating systems that previously required back-and-forth exchanges between managers and employees.

The irony of IBM¡¯s A.I. use case is that the same technology HR uses to expedite rote processes could ultimately put them out of work. In May, the company announced it would pause hiring for back-office roles¡ªmany in human resources performing duties like writing employment letters or overseeing cross-department employee transfers¡ªA.I. could perform. LaMoreaux says the decision to freeze hiring for such roles was made intentionally and strategically.

¡°We don¡¯t want to bring in a bunch of people and then find out that large portions of their job are actually being transformed by A.I.,¡± she says. ¡°We are being cautious. We are pausing in certain jobs, so we can shift the hiring focus to the revenue-generating, product-building pieces.¡±

Also Read: "Don't Rush Investments Into AI Just Because Its Cool" Warns 'Father Of Internet'

IBM Sees Ample Opportunity In AI

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It¡¯s not an approach unique to IBM, but the company sees ample opportunity to leverage A.I. within its people operations and has invested heavily in it.

IBM also uses A.I. during performance evaluation, automating the determination of which employees qualify for a raise or promotion. Its A.I. platform, LaMoreaux says, does the tedious work of culling through data, including past performance ratings, skills, whether employees are up to date on training and their length of employment. It then sends recommendations to managers to cross-check. Managers can ask the A.I. why an employee isn¡¯t on the list. The tool may respond, for instance, that the employee hasn¡¯t met a certification requirement, and provide dates for upcoming certification exams, as per Fortune report.

With the time saved, LaMoreaux says, managers can invest in coaching employees on how they can improve and career progression.

¡°We¡¯ve got over 280 different A.I. automations running inside HR right now,¡± LaMoreaux says. ¡°That¡¯s what is different here. It¡¯s making HR more human because we¡¯re spending time on things that matter.¡± She adds: ¡°Every company is a technology company right now. We¡¯re all being impacted by A.I.¡±

What IBM CEO Had Said About AI

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Earlier this year in April, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna argued that A.I. helps employers ¡°tackle the kind of tasks most people find repetitive, which frees up employees to take on higher-value work.¡± He pointed to IBM, noting that its A.I. use has cut the number of HR professionals performing manual work from 700 to fewer than 50.

A.I.¡¯s impact on the job market has long been a chief concern. The World Economic Forum had said in a report last month that A.I. could affect around 40% of all working hours, with clerical and secretarial roles likely to see a quick decline.

Will AI Lead To Job Losses In IBM?

The IBM boss had also noted earlier this year that he could "easily" see 30% of these positions substituted by AI over five years, implying about 7,800 jobs at the company are likely to be taken over by AI,

On the other hand, IBM's CHRO LaMoreaux admits she¡¯s thinking ahead to what happens if IBM terminates employees due to A.I. ¡°The thing companies need to think about is how [they] can provide skilling and programs well ahead of time,¡± she says. ¡°If you¡¯re at the point of severance, you¡¯re already too late.¡± She urges companies to be transparent about their A.I. strategy and train employees on the tools and skills needed to remain integral to the company¡¯s hereafter, the report mentioned.

Pausing hiring for certain positions seems to LaMoreaux like a sensical first step as IBM continues its A.I. experimentation, gathers data on job efficacy, and upskills talent to meet the A.I. demands of the future.

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¡°The real piece that we¡¯ve got to get ahead of now is the 80% or 90% of jobs that aren¡¯t going away, but that we all need to reskill on,¡± she says. ¡°How can you provide skills and programs well ahead of time? Do you have a view 18 months from now? What portions of the job are going to change? Do people have access to training? That¡¯s the pivot we need to make.¡±

Reflecting on the change in landscape, IBM's CHRO further said ¡°It used to be that you could get a degree, become an expert in something, and it would carry you for an entire decades-long career. The half-life of skills is now shrinking because of new technology. Whatever the next thing is, having the ability to continuously learn is the big differentiator for employees, regardless of what industry you¡¯re going into, what job role you¡¯re in, and if you¡¯re early in your career or late in your career. This is going to be a defining skill.¡±

Also Read: TCS Confirms Plan To Build Its Own ChatGPT-Like AI Tool

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