From bias to balance: AI’s role in workplace equity

Most conversations about the proliferation of AI in the workplace revolve around the promise of greater efficiency and creativity. What gets lost in these conversations is the potential of AI to foster a more equitable and inclusive workplace.

The latest episode of Mint’s new series on AI, All About AI, presented in partnership with Salesforce, explored this very topic. It featured senior Salesforce leaders who offered valuable insights into how AI can help and hinder efforts to create equitable workplaces. Sriram Dinavahi, Vice President of Engineering; Molly Q. Ford, vice president of employer brand and recruitment marketing; and Alexandra Legend Seigel, Senior Vice President and Chief Equality Officer, led the conversation. They emphasized the importance of centering all voices in AI development and addressing biases that may be embedded in the technology.

Watch the full episode here,

How AI will elevate employees

Alexandra Seigel highlighted the importance of AI being an aggregator of all points of view.“When we think about AI, it is essential that we center all voices, all perspectives when creating the technology of the future… We also know that biases exist in society and that biases can be reflected in our innovations, our workplaces and our technology. . And so we have to be intentional in addressing it.” By doing this, Seigel believes we will be able to create technology that truly reflects everyone and is useful to everyone in the world.

Sriram Dinavahi highlighted the dual impact of technological advancements and stated, “Every technological change brings with it challenges and opportunities and in the long run, opportunities prevail.” He also highlighted the need for continuing education and skill improvement in response to the rapid pace of AI development. By improving employees’ understanding of how AI is used, the data it works with, and the productivity it can drive, organizations can help close the current trust gap within their workforce. Dinavahi added that Salesforce, as a leader in technology development, takes responsibility for ensuring that AI fosters inclusion across the board.

Molly Ford encouraged the industry to harness the potential of AI, saying: “We need to move beyond fear because AI is here to stay.” She believes AI can improve creativity by allowing employees to focus on more innovative tasks and ultimately support a more dynamic workforce.

Ethical use of AI at Salesforce

Salesforce has already made significant progress in integrating AI to promote diversity and inclusion. Alexandra Siegel pointed out how AI is being used for inclusive coaching tools, automating tasks related to equality initiatives and expanding reach to underrepresented groups. AI can also play a key role in reducing bias in hiring processes, ensuring that diverse talent is considered fairly.

To mitigate the risks of AI, Salesforce has implemented ethical guidelines through its Ethics and Humanitarian Use office, ensuring human intervention in AI processes and maintaining transparency in decision-making.

Dinavahi added that Salesforce encourages flexibility by allowing customers to choose the AI ​​models that best fit their needs. This flexibility ensures that AI tools are adaptable, customizable, and controlled by users.

Addressing AI consistency, Dinavahi highlighted the importance of basing AI models on accurate and relevant data and using rapid engineering to improve AI responses. By focusing on these aspects, Salesforce aims to deliver AI solutions that are reliable and consistent in their results.

Essential skills in an AI-driven future

On the topic of AI-based talent planning, Molly Ford joked:“When does my digital coworker start? I can’t wait to pass on some of my activities!

Ford envisions a time when digital agents or “talent robots” can streamline the hiring process, efficiently matching job seekers with suitable opportunities based on their skills, preferences and career goals. She believes AI-powered tools can help recruiters identify top talent more effectively, saving time and resources. By automating mundane tasks like resume screening, AI can allow recruiters to focus on building meaningful connections with potential candidates. This personalized approach can improve the candidate experience and attract top talent to companies like Salesforce.

Speaking about one of his favorite AI use cases, Dinavahi said:“Slack AI has helped us stay sane, prioritize things, be efficient, and get work done. It was very overwhelming using Slack alone, but since Slack AI emerged, we no longer feel information overload.”

Seigel sees the potential for AI tools to address gender inequality in the workplace.“Research shows that, on average, women have less access to professional sponsors than men. So there may be some AI agent that can connect them to those opportunities or help them understand what they need to do to connect with senior leaders.”

The rich debate concluded with speakers agreeing that even in an AI-driven future, the most in-demand skills will be human skills. While proficiency in data and artificial intelligence will be imperative to remain relevant, the uniquely human skills of empathy, creative thinking and

Agility will be needed more than ever. Empathic leaders who demonstrate innovative thinking will continue to be in high demand no matter what AI puts on their resume.