Complex emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and "big data" analysis will be used to create the leading HR organizations of the future, and employers must be willing to invest the time and effort to use these powerful tools responsibly. But that means first getting over the fear of what could go wrong and instead resolving to harness technology's power to better inform decision-making and revolutionize talent management. SHRM Online discussed the critical future-of-work topic with Eric Sydell, an industrial organizational psychologist, expert in AI and machine learning, executive vice president of innovation at recruiting technology firm Modern Hire, and co-author of the new book Decoding Talent (Fast Company, 2022). SHRM Online: People often react to leading-edge technology with trepidation. In the case of using AI in the workplace, government regulators are placing well-intentioned limits on data usage because they fear employers may abuse employee privacy and workers could suffer harm from bias.

Improving employee engagement is at the top of many human resource leaders' to-do lists. But combing through an ever-growing amount of engagement survey data to extract actionable insights can be overwhelming. So industry vendors have created artificial intelligence (AI) tools designed to automatically analyze survey data to pinpoint themes and characterize the meaning of words or phrases. Tools like natural language processing (NLP) can save HR time and generate more-useful data along the way. SHRM Online spoke with Armen Berjikly, senior director of growth strategy for Ultimate Software in Weston, Fla., during the HR Technology Conference & Exposition for his thoughts on the state of NLP technology today, the pros and cons of using AI to analyze engagement survey data, and the importance of developing a code of ethics for using AI in HR. Prior to working at Ultimate, Berjikly was the founder and CEO of Kanjoya Inc., a workforce intelligence company that pioneered advancements in NLP technology dedicated to understanding human emotion.

Jeanne Meister believes that HR should take the lead in shepherding artificial intelligence (AI) software into the workplace, transforming the human resources function and enhancing the employee experience. Meister is the founding partner of Future Workplace, a New York City-based HR executive network and research firm dedicated to the future of learning and working. Future Workplace has created an online course featuring Hilton, IBM, Intel, GE and others who are using AI and realizing business benefits across the organization. She sat down with SHRM Online to discuss why and how CHROs and their teams should start learning about and crafting a strategy for how to best leverage artificial intelligence for HR. SHRM Online: Why should HR pioneer the development of AI strategy in their organizations?