Expert highlights importance of AI literacy skills for HR leaders
Artificial intelligence has made its way to HR departments globally, underscoring the need for people leaders to have AI literacy skills if they do not want to get left behind, according to an expert.
Ben Winterbourne, general manager of Data Insight, said AI literacy skills are all about having the knowledge to be comfortable and confident in using AI responsibly at work.
"It means understanding what it is, what does it encompass, what it can do, what it can't do, how to use it effectively in your day job," Winterbourne told HRD.
For HR leaders, having AI literacy skills means knowing how the technology can support them in their roles, he said.
"This includes things like what tools exist, what should I be using, what shouldn't I be using, mastering the art of prompting AI to get the right answer, and what kind of tips and tricks are there in that.
"It also includes understanding ethical considerations, the bias that could be involved in AI and just to what to watch out for."
Having AI literacy skills has become crucial following the introduction of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, and their adoption in organisations.
In New Zealand, 52% of employees admit to already using generative AI, citing its benefits in generating ideas, improving quality of outputs, and increased speed at completing tasks, according to a Deloitte report last year.
This widespread use among employees underscores the need for HR leaders to have AI literacy skills, according to Winterbourne.
"It's such an essential skill to have because those people that don't learn to embrace it and learn how to use it and get the most out of it are at risk of being left behind, basically," he said. "It can help with things like sifting through CVs, to writing job descriptions, to planning the workforce, there's so many applications to it."
Without AI literacy skills, Winterbourne warned that HR leaders risk enabling biases in AI tools.
"Without knowing what AI can and what can't do, it's very hard to know how to use it and use it effectively, so without knowing what it can't do, you risk putting bias into things," he said.
"So, understanding those elements is really important for HR specifically as well because the information they're handling is really sensitive information."
Learning about AI shouldn't be difficult for HR leaders, according to Winterbourne. But it will require intentional effort.
"So, it's being proactive. There's lots of programmes out there, so it's about picking the right one for your business and making sure that you bring everyone's skills up to meet this future because it's going to happen," he said.
Winterbourne said the training on AI should cover the foundations in the wake of the rapidly developing technology.
"The training should give you the skills to understand the ethics, the bias, of what it can do, what it can't do. And those foundational pieces don't change as much," he said.
"What changes is the tools and what it might be able to do in the future. So, I think doing those structured training is really important to give you that foundation."
