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The hopes of managing directors and human resources managers regarding the efficiency potential of artificial intelligence (AI) are high, as shown by an international survey of 175 managers by the management consultancy Horvath: 60 percent of the companies surveyed in Germany, Austria and Switzerland expect that will save more than 20 percent of their full-time positions in the next six years thanks to AI. In the USA it is 48 percent. Managers from companies with fewer than 1,000 employees estimate the savings potential to be greatest.
According to Horvath HR expert Carina Palfrader-Fraz, the human resources department plays a crucial role in the AI revolution: The entire company must be able to use AI efficiently in good time. This requires the recruitment of specialists, internal training and the adjustment of target profiles of managers and employees. There is potential for automation primarily in the area of personnel search: AI could, for example, make an initial selection of applicants. Chatbots answer questions from interested parties and coordinate appointments.
Time can also be saved in personnel development, for example when the AI forwards suggestions to the management team based on profiles, career goals and performance. In this way, gaps in knowledge could also be identified. The prerequisite is a solid and digitally available information base. “Poor data results in distorted, potentially discriminatory AI performance,” says Palfrader-Fraz.
People remain important
Despite all the digital possibilities, human skills would remain important: On the one hand, social skills, effective communication and the ability to cooperate cannot be replaced by AI. On the other hand, the human ability to contextualize decisions and relate things to one another remains unrivaled.
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