Wellbeing programs are vital for a healthy and productive workforce but how will they be delivered in the future?
As artifical intelligence (AI) takes on more HR tasks and personalised support emerges as one of the leading uses of the technology by people what does that mean for workplace wellbeing programs?
Findings published in Harvard Business Review earlier this year found the previous number one use of AI, 'generating ideas', had dropped to sixth place, while ‘organising my life’ and ‘finding purpose’ took second and third place respectively.
“Many [Reddit] posters talked about how therapy with an AI model was helping them process grief or trauma. Three advantages to AI-based therapy came across clearly: It’s available 24/7, it’s relatively inexpensive (even free to use in some cases), and it comes without the prospect of judgment from another human being,” Marc Zao-Sanders, the author of the report, wrote.
Zao-Sanders also noted several professional services now being delivered, albeit partially, by AI – from therapy and medical advice to legal counsel and tax guidance – with AI agents becoming more commonplace in corporate life.
HRD spoke with Vice President of People and Talent at Torrens University Australia, Hugo Contente, who highlighted the importance of human interaction as it underpins the work HR leaders do.
“Sitting with someone else, or having them put their hand on your shoulder, is something AI will never be able to replicate. For managers, this is a great thing because it means they can focus their work on making meaningful relationships," he said.
“Managing people is incredibly difficult,” Contente said “so getting AI to help with admin isn’t all bad – but using it in place of a human to talk about your wellbeing? It’s not sophisticated enough and not able to actually recreate the feelings of companionship you’re looking for.”
Contente said showing empathy and tailioring support based on an employee's personal circumstances are the “last cards to play in the differentiation between having a human or machine interacting with you.”
Contente believes there are some benefits to using AI, however - and how people engage with it in the furture is the “billion-dollar question” that could change the way people managers ensure mental wellbeing in the future.
“People, especially my children and nephews, go to ChatGPT before anything else nowadays. Search engines are being replaced for this generation – because of how easy it is to access and the width and breadth of knowledge possesses. That’s a massive shift and shows how we will be supporting people in the workplace in the future,” he said.
“Ultimately, AI doesn’t judge, which is eliminates the barrier of feeling embarrassed or unable to speak to someone about it – like your manager. That’s a benefit that I think we will see more regularly – using technology as a first port of call.”
With AI being more widely used across industries, there’s also a concern about its efficacy, with research showing that there could be biases or wrong answers being given.
This, Contente outlined, is a key reason why managers need to make sure they’re fully aware of how to help their staff when needed – noting that the margin of error, at the moment, is a worry.
“AI still makes mistakes,” Contente continued, “which is a key driver in not relying on it 100% of the time and using it as a first base. Things like body language and the human touch that a screen just can’t replicate. That’s a big thing that AI has going against it,” he added.
Contente told HRD that AI needs to be used as a guidance tool to help managers deal with employee disengagement or unhappiness – much like a co-pilot. This is because, psychologically, humans need physical interaction with other people.
“It’s embedded in our genetic code. People need interaction and the sense that on the other side there is a human to respond to them. Managers need to upskill to become more of a presence in this aspect,” Contente said. “But using AI to guide conversations and help them deal with these issues, like a little backseat driver, will create a perfect harmony of human interaction and AI-based knowledge.”
