Dive Brief:
- A majority (65%) of CHROs surveyed by The Conference Board said they believe AI will have a positive impact on the HR function within the next two years, according to survey results released May 1.
- That finding comes as HR pros contend with a difficult talent market. Just over half said they expect hiring to increase within the next six months, an increase over Q1 2023.
- However, many are taking steps to address the economic slowdown; 36% said they are freezing hiring outside critical positions, 22% are delaying employee development opportunities, and 15% are laying off employees.
Dive Insight:
These results come amid increased scrutiny by the federal government on the use of AI at work. Federal agencies as well as the White House have signaled an interest in examining and potentially regulating the tech, cautioning employers to take employee health and safety into account when using automated tools.
It’s also, generally, an increasingly fraught time for talent managers, data on layoffs indicates. The latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics signaled an “unambiguous” market cooldown, economists said. But while employers may be increasingly careful with their hiring, many still report difficulties finding workers with the right skills, experts noted.
Automated tools of all kinds — including language models like ChatGPT — may help with worker productivity when extra hiring may not be feasible, some say. ChatGPT, specifically, could help speed up some of recruiters’ more tedious tasks, experts previously told HR Dive, while other automated tools have been shown to improve productivity of customer service workers.
