Leading global professional services firm AON has found that while HR professionals in the UK are interested in generative artificial intelligence (AI), they are not yet proactively making use of it.
A recent poll of over 50 global benefits and HR leaders conducted in a session on ‘How AI is changing the benefits world’ during Aon’s Global Benefits Day, revealed a significant interest in exploring the impact of generative AI. However, it also highlighted a lack of clearly defined strategies and proactive measures to harness generative AI’s full potential for HR purposes.
The poll results showed that while 19.5 percent of respondents are developing their own generative AI solutions, 62.5 percent are yet to adopt any generative AI solutions. ‘Communication’ was identified by 16 percent of participants as the top potential area to benefit from the impact of generative AI, but ‘cost’ was cited as the leading barrier to implementing it, with 18 percent of respondents highlighting this factor as a concern.
David Kirk, growth leader, Human Capital technology at Aon in the UK, said: “Generative AI and its potential keeps coming up in conversations with HR professionals. They are eager to understand it, but it’s also clear that they need guidance on how to communicate its benefits and to navigate the regulatory landscape that governs it.
“A well-thought-out approach to generative AI in HR will be able to transform organisations by empowering HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives while generative AI handles the more repetitive tasks such as employee agent 24/7 support. That way, it can deliver insights to HR leaders from data, helping to deliver impact with actionable suggestions or hyper-relevant communications – and ultimately driving greater efficiency and better-informed decision-making.”
Tech and AI in wellbeing – help or hindrance?
David Kirk continued: “Now is very much the time for organisations to explore the options available to them, including engaging in the right discussions with their advisers to understand the ways in which they can harness generative AI to enhance internal processes and engagement.
“But what are the questions they should be asking? The key topic to start with is impact – what are you trying to achieve? From here you can begin to look at accessing the right data, compliance and who the team will be to execute the tasks.
“Additionally, as generative AI grows in prominence and usage, postponing these conversations risks delays and roadblocks emerging further down the line, as capacity for advice and technical solutions in this area is currently limited.”
You can find out more about the potential of embracing AI to create a step-change in health and wellbeing at work in the panel session which David Kirk will be Chairing at the Leaders’ Summit at MAD World on 17th October. You can also get answers to your specific questions – and learn from peers from across sectors – by joining the roundtable discussions at the event exploring the topic: “Tech and AI in wellbeing – help or hindrance?”
If you’re an employer, you can register for the Leaders’ Summit at MAD World with a 50% discount using code MAD50 here. Or join our Leaders’ Club for VIP registration.
Visit Aon.com for more information about Aon’s Health and Benefits Solutions.
