Technology is HR’s topic of the week

There’s no doubt that the role of technology has dramatically ramped up over the last few years. This week in news has seen many articles that both praise and question this evolution.

Terminator: Fact or fiction?

Since the release of the Terminator films (if not before), the takeover of the machines has been a lingering fear. With the advance of technology over the years, we’ve seen some jobs become obsolete due to tech. From self-serve checkouts to automated factories and even the disappearance of lift-operators, this theme is seen time and time again.

However, many say that this fear may be for nothing. With the rise of technology, some doors may close, but many will open as there will be a need for people to maintain emerging systems. One in 16 Australians currently work in the tech industry, and according to the Tech Council of Australia, we need an additional 1.2 million jobs by 2030 if we’re to keep up.

So perhaps some tech fears are misplaced. Instead of losing total job numbers to machines, we are creating demand in new industries, artificial intelligence (AI) being one of the most prominent. AI was recently discussed by Cynthia Cottrell with The HR Leader.

AI discrimination

Speaking of AI, the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has provided guidance to organisations using AI, monitoring them to ensure they are not discriminating against people.

According to the commission, some AI technologies have been recognised to have bias in their algorithms, discriminating against race and sex. The use of facial recognition technology is a key player in this issue, with the technology treating certain ethnic groups unfairly.

CEO of the EHRC, Marcial Boo said: “It’s vital for organisations to understand these potential biases and to address any equality and human rights impacts.”

“Many organisations may not know they could be breaking equality law, and people may not know how AI is used to make decisions about them.”

While AI is very complex, it’s important to flesh out these issues with persistent effort. The EHRC recommends making the effort to train and inform staff on processes around AI, and to pay attention to the systems in order to recognise bias in data. As Joe Hart said to The HR Leader: “data can hinder decision making”.

Social media: Business not pleasure

On a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Mark Zuckerberg said that social media shouldn’t be a mindless way to pass time, but a way of connecting with others.

“If you’re just sitting there and consuming stuff, I mean, it’s not necessarily bad, but it generally isn’t associated with all the positive benefits you get from being actively engaged or building relationships,” he said.

Taking Zuckerberg’s view noted above a step further, published studies have claimed that social media ‘addiction’ has negative mental health effects.

A study by Niall McCrae and Annmarie Graelish explained: “Warnings have been issued by psychologists and other experts on how younger people are engaging with social media and related impairment to personal and social development.”

This is relevant to the workplace as some bullying has gone remote through the pandemic. So, while social media is a great way to connect with others and express yourself, too much of it may have an impact on your mental health.