When HR Adds Digital Agents and Robots

The HR acronym means Human Resources, but how does that change when digital agents and robotic coworkers are added?  How will it change the future of HR, work and jobs?  This and many more topics are discussed with expert Celia Fleischaker in this insightful interview.

*I use generative AI to assist in all my work.

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Kevin Benedict

Futurist at TCS

View my profile on LinkedIn

Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict

Join the Linkedin Group Digital Intelligence

***Full Disclosure: These are my personal opinions. No company is silly enough to claim them. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

From Cave Walls to Artificial Intelligence: The Evolution of Information

Our pursuit of knowledge has driven an extraordinary evolution in how we capture, distribute, and utilize information. From the dawn of humanity to our modern digital age, the evolution of information technologies has been a driving force behind progress, innovation, and societal transformation.

Our ancestors etched stories onto cave walls and shared knowledge through oral traditions, their brains serving as the primary repositories of information. As we developed written language and printing, information became more accessible, democratizing knowledge and empowering individuals to challenge established norms. The printing press, a revolutionary invention of the 15th century, fueled the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, facilitating the widespread dissemination of ideas and accelerating scientific discovery.

In the 20th century, the advent of digital media marked a paradigm shift in information capture and distribution. Computers, local networks, and ultimately the internet transformed the way we interact with information, making it instantaneous, global, and participatory. Today, cloud computing and artificial intelligence are pushing the boundaries of what is possible, with large language models and sophisticated algorithms capable of generating insights and understanding from vast datasets.

The Hidden Currency of Change: Transformational Energy

Throughout history, both organizations and societies have grappled with the consequences of rapid change. Consider the Gutenberg printing press.  Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in the mid-15th century created all kinds of rapid, unforeseen and unintended consequences. It democratized information, enabled the rapid dissemination of it, and disrupted all kinds of established power structures and belief systems. 

Prior to the printing press, knowledge dissemination was slow, controlled and often only available to an elite few. The printing press significantly lowered barriers to entry, empowering individuals, and smaller organizations to challenge established players and dogma. For example, the printing press weakened the Church's monopoly on knowledge and fueled the Protestant Reformation, which led to social unrest, wars and calls for change, as seen in the religious turmoil following Gutenberg's invention.

Fast forward centuries, and we see another example with the Industrial Revolution. While it sparked incredible innovation and economic growth, the rapid pace of change left many behind. The rise of factories led to harsh working conditions, displacing traditional artisans, and fueling social movements like Luddism, where workers protested the perceived threat of technology to their livelihoods. These historical examples illustrate the importance of managing change effectively. When change happens too quickly, it can lead to societal discord and organizational exhaustion. In today's world of constant change and innovation, understanding and managing our collective "transformational energy" is more crucial than ever.

How Our Minds Resist the Future

Rule #1. The future will always be tainted by our past, as we will attempt to apply our legacy perspectives, biases, moral frameworks and belief systems there, relevant or not. ~ Kevin Benedict

Humans display a wide range of psychological traits that can make us resistant to change, and fearful of the future. Understanding these traits helps explain why we sometimes struggle with change, even when it offers rewards and benefits. We will also consider how the influence of money, sex, power, and identity can further complicate these traits in hard to predict ways.

Psychological Traits Resistant to Change

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1. Loss Aversion: This tendency involves preferring to avoid losses rather than acquiring equivalent gains. The fear of losing what one already has (such as status, resources, or comfort levels) can be a more potent motivator than the potential benefits of gaining something new.
2. Status Quo Bias: Many of us prefer things to remain unchanged because the status quo is familiar and comfortable. Change introduces uncertainty, which can be stressful and anxiety-inducing.
3. Confirmation Bias: We tend to favor information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs or values. This bias can close us off to new ideas and lead to selective gathering of evidence, making change more difficult.
4. Fear of the Unknown: Change is inherently uncertain. Not being able to predict outcomes can lead to fear or anxiety, causing us to stick with known quantities, even if they are suboptimal.
5. Cognitive Dissonance: When new information conflicts with our existing beliefs, it can create discomfort known as cognitive dissonance. We often resist change because it challenges our worldview or identity, leading to discomfort we naturally wish to avoid.
6. Habit: Our behavior is largely driven by habits, which are efficient for cognitive processing. Changing habits requires conscious effort and can be mentally taxing, thus we often resist change to maintain cognitive ease.

The Future, Progress and Moral Frameworks

Those who believe in the inevitable progress of man, forget that the twentieth century was the bloodiest, most destructive century in human history. The century's two world wars alone resulted in the deaths of at least 60 million people.

The 20th century was marked by an explosive convergence of ideological, technological, economic, geopolitical and sociopolitical forces, creating a highly volatile environment that led to unprecedented violence and devastation, while at the same time delivering the highest standard of living in history. This era demonstrated how technological advancements, in the absence of corresponding developments in legal and moral frameworks, can lead to massive human suffering.

While technology significantly enhanced the destructiveness of warfare during the 20th century, the deeper causes of this violence lay in the prevailing belief systems and moral frameworks. These frameworks, which include religious, philosophical, and cultural codes, are vital as they shape societal norms about what is deemed justifiable or unacceptable behavior, especially concerning the use of violence.

Intelligence Transformation with Dr. Paul J. Bailo

In this episode, Dr. Paul J. Bailo shares his deep knowledge, learnings and insights on the impact artificial intelligence will have on industries, enterprises and individuals.  A strong advocate for lifelong learning, Dr. Bailo inspires his students to recognize that the world is rapidly changing and only lifelong learners will be able to thrive in the new world.

*I use generative AI to assist in all my work.

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Kevin Benedict

Futurist at TCS

View my profile on LinkedIn

Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict

Join the Linkedin Group Digital Intelligence

***Full Disclosure: These are my personal opinions. No company is silly enough to claim them. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

Building a Better Future

Many years ago, I graduated with a degree in political science from Portland State University.  Through a long and winding journey working in high tech for companies in Silicon Valley, Seattle, Atlanta, Dublin and Boston, I ultimately moved into the role of being a full time futurist.  One of the unexpected things I discovered along the way was how much a futurist studies history.  

History has taught me that government policies, laws and regulations often play an important role in creating better conditions for humans to thrive.  We see it revealed throughout history, and I expect we will see it in the future as well.  

For most of human history, our standard of living and quality of life was terrible. Century after century it didn't improve.  Fifty percent of children died before age five, and the average person was not likely to live beyond 30 years of age.  This pattern continued for thousands of years.

Future Catalysts that Just Might Change Us

A catalyst, in futurist-speak, is a time or event that is so influential that it causes a society to rethink - how they think.  A review of history reveals that our thinking has been shaped by numerous catalysts over time. These major disruptions to our status quo-thinking forced us to reevaluate our beliefs and behaviors, and to ponder new paradigms of thought and action. As we look to the future, several potential catalysts loom on the horizon, each with the power to fundamentally reshape our future and challenge our collective mindset.

Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation

AI and automation technologies promises to redefine the nature of work, creativity, and human interaction. As these technologies become increasingly integrated into daily life, we face questions about the value of human labor, the ethics of AI decision-making, and the distribution of wealth in a post-work society. The rise of AI could lead to a significant shift in societal values, prioritizing continuous learning, adaptability, and a reevaluation of what it means to think, work and to lead a fulfilling life.

Future Progress Constrained by Social Media

We all know that the social media complex has problems.  They mess with the mental and emotional health of our children, amplify misinformation, prioritize sensentational information, and distort the world through filtered lenses.  But in addition to all of that, they are slowing our ability to make progress as humans. The following is my personal argument only.

The fundamental principle governing human progress dictates that to maximize individual potential, we must confront and overcome the systemic barriers that limit us. Societal limitations include challenges like climate change, inequality, resource scarcity, and political polarization – all demanding collective action and large-scale reform. Social media, however, is purposely designed to amplify divisive content which is an obstacle to collective, and unified action.

Catalysts that Shaped Human History

Historically, significant shifts in societal mindsets have often been precipitated by disruptive events that create a collective sense of urgency or crisis. These catalysts—whether wars, revolutions, pandemics, or technological breakthroughs—disrupt the status quo to such an extent that the cost of maintaining existing beliefs and systems becomes untenable. The key to these events' transformative power lies in their ability to induce widespread reflection and reassessment of prevailing values, priorities, and lifestyles. 

Let's now take a moment to explore some of the more impactful events in history that served as catalysts for societal change and collective rethinking.

From Authority to Inquiry: The Enlightenment and Beyond

The invention of the printing press ignited the Enlightenment, marking a shift from the acceptance of authority, to it's being replaced by inquiry and individual reasoning. This democratization of knowledge fostered an environment where questioning and scientific investigation flourished, paving the way for the scientific, industrial, and democratic revolutions that followed. This invention, fundamentally altered humanity's self-conception, positioning reason and empirical evidence as the primary sources of knowledge.