Online Conclave organized by NATIONAL HRD NETWORK, INDORE CHAPTER on the theme of Artificial Intelligence – A Boon or A Bane for HR commenced on 4th May 2024 with the lightning of the lamp and welcoming of the Chief Guest, Mr. Prem Singh, National President, NHRDN & President – Group HR, JK Organisation by Dr. Upinder Dhar, Vice Chancellor, Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Indore.
Dr. T.K. Mandal, Conclave Convenor & Professor, Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Indore briefed about the conclave and said that trust and rapport are built on empathy, understanding, and shared experiences – inherently human qualities. While AI can simulate conversation and analyze data to a certain extent, it lacks the emotional intelligence and intuition that humans possess. He welcomed all dignitaries andthe speakers in the conclave.
Dr. Upinder Dhar, President, Indore Chapter, NHRDN in his welcome address talked about how Indore chapter was established in 1997. He appreciated the topic of the conclave and said AI can indeed usher in a new era of data analysis and machine learning that can greatly benefit both employees and job seekers. By leveraging AI for data analysis, organizations can gain valuable insights into various aspects of their workforce, such as performance, engagement, and training needs.
Chapter President further said that the human touch is irreplaceable. While AI can enhance efficiency and provide valuable insights, it lacks the empathy, intuition, and emotional intelligence that are essential in many aspects of human interaction.
Also read: L&D Agenda Has to be Derived From the Business Aspirations by Bimal Rath
AI can significantly enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of training modules, making learning more engaging, personalized, and impactful for people. AI can be a boon in identifying hidden talents within HR personnel and employees. He concluded by emphasising that AI is indeed a boon, provided we use it in the right direction.
Mr. Prem Singh, Chief Guest of the event, National President, NHRDN, and President – Group HR, JK Organisation started his speech by congratulating Dr. Dhar and Dr. Mandal on completing 25 years of the Indore chapter.
India’s strength in technology has played a significant role in its economic growth and its position as a major player in the global economy. AI has the potential to enhance India’s technological capabilities further and drive its economic growth. By leveraging AI in various sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and education, India can improve efficiency, productivity, and innovation. The key question of Robots taking over humans is one of the key challenges today. Displacement of mental effort is being observed. Humans and AI are going to work together and this is the phase we need to collaborate and supplement and leverage performance and must be calibrated for advancement. Mr. Prem Singh ended his deliberation with Steve Jobs quote: “Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart – and if you give them the tools, they’ll do wonderful things with these,” he said. “Tools are just tools. We need to adapt, embrace and re-skill so as to leverage.
Plenary session started with the address of Keynote Speaker, Mr. Anurag Malik, President – Delhi & NCR Chapter, NHRDN, & Partner and India Leader-People Consulting, EY. In his deliberation, Mr. Malik said that AI has become an integral part of discussion of every corporate forum and pondered if AI is going to be a boon or a bane. He quoted Sam Altman’s words that AI carries a 10% risk to finish humanity. He also spoke about the impact of AI on jobs at both high and lower levels. Mr. Malik threw light on the discussion he had with a CEO on the future of CXO’s and the need for possible assessments to enhance performance and hiring. Making HR roles more strategic by using AI tools was his point of argument that Mr. Malik ended his deliberation with.
Plenary Speaker Mr. R. Anand, Principal Consultant & Advisor – HR, IT Major & Former Board Member, NHRDN- Spoke about the shifting paradigm in AI. The High end jobs along with lower level jobs will go to AI and it will impact everyone. Mr. Anand spoke about the 4 types of AI tools – Supervised learning, non-supervised Learning, Reinforcement learning and Generative AI. Mr. Anand also discussed about ChatGPT, and its pros and cons. WINS framework and maximising ROI on Gen AI deployment was also explained by Mr R. Anand. Education institutes should be equipped with the Gen AI usage was his say to matchup the technological advancements.
Plenary Speaker Dr. Tapomay Deb Sr. V.P. (HR), JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd, New Delhi, spoke about Application of AI in HR like Automatic recruitment & Talent acquisition process, Internal mobility and Workforce analytics, Performance management, Real time feedback, Employee engagement and retention, Learning and development, Workforce safety and hazards, Employee productivity measurement, Automating payroll processing, Organisation design, Organizational network analysis and simplifying Communication.
Also read: Business Landscape Drive L&D function’s heightened significance by Dr. Ankita Singh
Dr. G.P. Rao started with his samvad by focusing on the difference between Kathya, Tathyaand Satya. Thereafter, he posed 3 questions to the panellists about:
1. Benefits of using AI in HRM
2. Downside of AI in HRM
3. How to leverage AI cautiously
Prof. Santosh Rangnekar talked about certain challenges we face while using AI. He also discussed how HRM is all about personal touch, sensitivity, privacy, and emotional connection. However, when we use AI, our privacy is affected. He also spoke about the contrast between personalization and depersonalization. Additionally, AI increases our reach to many areas. Everywhere we look, there is AI. AI can make a lot of difference and it reduces manual work.
Shri Dharm Rakshit discussed how AI is going to simplify things and benefit industries. Not only does AI shorten the time it takes to complete tasks, but it also provides solutions to our problems. Technology is advancing rapidly, leading to shifts in roles solely because of AI. He highlighted two main functions of HR managers in the industry: technology integration and secondary skilling. He emphasized the growing importance of application tracking, as the number of applications received by multinational companies plays a crucial role in identifying relevant profiles.
Dr. Debjani Roy discussed certain aspects of AI, such as empathy, which are intangible. She emphasized collaboration and augmentation between AI and HR. The human element still needs to be nurtured, as HR professionals always need to be sensitive and navigate the fine line between HR and AI. There has to be a mix and match of human with AI. She highlighted the numerous benefits in various areas of AI.
Dr. Santosh Dhar as a panellist also discussed the role of HR, which has drastically changed solely because of AI. Today, HR has new responsibilities as a value creator, including establishing trust in applications and how to achieve it. It serves as global labour, storage, and AI has modernized HR function.
The online conclave ended with the Closing Remarks by Dr. Upinder Dhar.
Stay connected with us on social media platforms for instant updates click here to join our LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook
