“AI won’t take your job, but someone using AI will.” While there may be some truth in this quote, we must also acknowledge that AI will replace some jobs.
This was one of the tough topics discussed at the State of HR Summit 2024 during a panel called “AI and the Workforce: Balancing Innovation and Human Capital.”
Current status of the HR Summit
The State of HR Summit 2024 hosted by Sprout Solutions brought together industry leaders to discuss the evolving HR landscape. At the summit, Sprout Solutions released its fifth State of HR report, revealing key insights on companies' AI readiness. The report highlighted that a significant number of companies (39%) are “moderately prepared” for AI, indicating caution due to uncertainty and lack of preparation.
Meanwhile, 31 percent of businesses are rated as “not ready” or “not at all ready,” likely due to perceived risks such as security and privacy concerns, lack of transparency, and fear of job loss.
Photo courtesy of SPROUT SOLUTIONS
The panel, titled “AI and the Workforce: Balancing Innovation and Human Capital,” featured speakers Mharicar Castillo-Reyes, President and CEO of Asticom Technology Inc.; Professor Erika Fille Legara, Aboitiz Chair of Data Science at AIM; Reynaldo Lugtu, Founder and CEO of Hungry Workhorse; and Sara Venturina, Chief Data Officer at GCash.
The discussion explored the impact of AI on workforce strategy, the importance of making strategic decisions about how to integrate AI, and the ethical implications of AI adoption. One of the key points raised by the panel was the importance of identifying a strategic way for organizations to decide what can, should, and shouldn't be integrated with AI. This isn't a simple matter of integrating AI wherever possible, but rather requires careful consideration of user readiness, trust, and the ethical implications of any given automation.
For example, would you want a humanoid robot to look after your grandma? If your customers simply need to ask a question or solve a problem, an AI bot could be the perfect solution.
But when a customer is upset, frustrated or angry, resolving the issue isn't your only objective — a human touch may be the only way to regain their trust.
The importance of thoughtful, strategic adoption of AI cannot be overstated. Organizations must carefully consider what they can and should integrate with AI, balancing efficiency gains with the need for human interaction. Focusing on these areas will help businesses successfully navigate the challenges and opportunities of an AI-driven future, striking a balance between innovation and humanity.
Putting the Philippines on the Global AI Map
In an AI-driven remote work environment, continuous learning is essential to close the skills gap and empower employees. Upskilling helps employees stay relevant, take on new challenges, and advance their careers. The Philippines is already a top destination for outsourcing services due to high English proficiency, a tech-savvy workforce, and excellent customer service. AI upskilling efforts can drive business success and put the Philippines on the global AI map.
Connected Women, a community of over 180,000 members across the Philippines, upskills women and provides flexible, remote job opportunities in the AI industry. Key programs such as Elevate AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Data Annotation) and GAIL (Generative AI Learning) play a key role in bridging the gender skills gap.
In an exciting update this week, Connected Women announced it will rebrand its solutions division as Mettamatch and roll out its ethical AI annotation services globally, a move that supports the Philippines’ ambitions to strengthen its digital competitiveness and establish a strong presence in the global AI industry, while also enabling the country to play its role in shaping the ethical development of cutting-edge technology.
Mettamatch provides ethical AI data services and complies with data protection regulations such as the EU's GDPR, Singapore's PDPA, and the Philippines' Data Protection Act. It also collaborates with Connected Women to provide case studies on how businesses can focus on economic opportunities and the importance of upskilling to stay competitive in the global market.
