The levels of hype, hope, anxiety and dread surrounding Artificial Intelligence are intense. The buzz is in popular culture and in our offices. Fears of replacement by robots are coupled with dreams of the end of drudgery. Cars that drive themselves transport workers to resorts in a paradise where there is no more work. Starving hordes rail against the fortresses of wealth unable to afford today’s ration of Soylent Green.
Into the Maze attempts to bring some common sense to the parts of the discussion that directly affect Human Resources Departments and their technology.
The second part of this book covers the emergence of a new kind of software as represented by 30 companies. These vendors range from small operations, who are pre-investment, to the biggest players in HR Technology. Originally, the idea was to investigate and illuminate Artificial Intelligence in HRTech. Into the Maze provides detailed reviews of these 30 companies, their offerings and business models.
Here are the highlights:•We began the report as an investigation into Artificial Intelligence. We were unable to find actual AI. That doesn’t mean that the work is not important. It means that calling it AI distracts from the value that these companies are creating.
•We considered describing the tools ‘machine led decision making’ because the services (save one) all deliver recommendations and guidance. Who can argue with a machine? And how would you do it?
•We settled on the idea of intelligent software. It captures the basic ethic of all the vendors: software should deliver more value with less time spent in the interface.
•We spoke with academics from all the major AI centers in North America. A conversational consciousness with the ability to innovate on the fly in conversation is a clear and shared definition of Artificial Intelligence. There is none in HRTech or anywhere else. Yet.
•Intelligent software involves tools that begin with pattern recognition and learn as those patterns change.
•The reviewed vendors deliver 21 discrete use cases (usage scenarios). While some companies address the same issues or tasks, it is rare that two companies solve the same problem the same way. There are 89 total variations on the use cases. Unlike traditional software, each purchasing decision involves buying that vendor’s opinion on the best way to solve a specific business problem.
•It is a nascent market. Huge benefit will accrue to companies that are willing to be early customers. But, the windfalls are accompanied by significant risks.
•Latency is the lag between a change in reality and the machine’s capacity to represent it. It is the most challenging question in the technical management of intelligent software.
•There are a host of ethical questions. We offer a chapter about some of them.
•Few vendors can adequately articulate the total cost of ownership of intelligent software. We provide an initial map to understand what is truly involved.
Here are the recommendations:This is a must-read for anyone in the market for these products, brilliantly organized by function, product and even the right questions to ask.
-Bob Corlett, President, Staffing Advisors
John not only cuts through the hype, but more importantly it provides the context by which organizations can begin to discuss, compare, and evaluate various intelligent solutions currently on display in the HR Technology marketplace.
-Stacey Harris, Head of Market Research, Sierra Cedar
If you’re being sold the AI revolution and considering how to streamline processes with an investment in machine intelligence, or just trying to understand the landscape of change that’s coming, then you need to read this! -Kelly Robinson, Founder, Broadbean
