Affectiva has gathered more than a billion data points to learn how human emotions differ based on the device, the content and of course, the individual viewer. These data points are then analyzed based on inputs from psychologists and experts. The machine tries to identify emotions in real time. The human experts coach the machine and tweak its algorithm and help it improve. Why don't we teach humans with the same rigor.
It may be time to heed the advice of Sun Tzu, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” That advice certainly holds true in the digital age.
Firstly, this year, let HR take a boundary-less view of data. Go beyond structured data to unstructured data sources. Throw in data from all sources till you cannot use Excel to do analysis any more. You have to invest in Artificial Intelligence.
Technology is becoming like electricity — it is invisible. Its presence does not draw attention any more, but it periodically strikes like lightning, leaving behind a trail of devastation. Unable to keep pace with fast fashion and the consumers’ preference to shop online, The Limited shut down 250 stores in 2017. 460 outlets of Sports Authority went out of business in 2016. PacSun, Aeropostale, and American Apparel filed for bankruptcy in 2016. Macy’s has just slashed 10,000 jobs and shut 68 stores. All sectors are tech sectors. All jobs are tech jobs.
HR needs to go beyond its role as a "touchy-feely" only function. The HR team must be able to design an amazing employment experience based on research, evidence and science. The real role of HR lies in shaping the culture of the organization, finding ways to attract and develop top talent and to be a futurist for the organization. Being able to design the right experience is the real value of the function. That needs expertise.
Here are three parameters to gauge whether a job can be done by robots:The job is driven by a clear set of rules and scenarios. That’s how robots are programmed.Efficiency and productivity are the main measures of the job.The role of soft skills — collaboration, influencing, negotiation etc — is limited.Do the same rules apply to an industry? How does your industry measure up?
The first day of the week or the month or the year is new start. The world has not agreed on any one common calendar. Therein lies the opportunity. Every religion offers a different day of the week as a fresh beginning. Think of 2017 as the year of the “&”. The ampersand (&) is a symbol of possibilities. You can start on a Monday & on any other day. You can start on the first of January & then again on any other day.
Ray believes that if only human emotions would be left out of the workplace, it would make it possible to run the place most efficiently. He is investing the brute power of his financial empire to make this dream a reality. People would be rated based on a million data points. The decision would be a foregone conclusion. But because people have difficulty (at least for now) to take orders from a machine, the role of the manager would be to simply convey the decision the machine has taken. How meaningful would that be for employees?
While I don’t see AI replacing teachers anytime soon, it can certainly be used to enable students and teachers to get more out of the educational experience.To begin with, automating rule-based and routine tasks — including grading of tests and assignments — can help improve productivity in the classroom. Such tasks tend to be tedious and time-consuming. Automating them would leave teachers free to focus on assisting students who are struggling, providing human interaction and hands-on experiences for them. AI can be used effectively to respond to queries from students — a bot will be infinitely more patient than any teacher in repeating answers and examples
