Artificial intelligence (AI) - hysteria, dystopia or utopia?

"The expectations of the capabilities of artificial intelligence are almost limitless. AI will revolutionize companies and industries in the coming years. All departments will be affected, from research and development to IT, from HR to communication. The topic is right at the top of the agenda for companies, no matter which industry we look at," says Till Schöppe-Fries, Partner at Xellento.

At Covestro, many departments are now working together to drive the topic of AI forward. Two departments are working particularly intensively in tandem here: the HR department and the IT&D department. This is because a successful transformation requires both of these areas of expertise in order to map both the interaction with the workforce and the technical level.

"It is necessary to prepare employees for the changes and actively involve them in the discourse. At Covestro, various formats are offered to familiarize employees with the topic of artificial intelligence and facilitate a respectful discussion. This is important because, in addition to enthusiasm, concerns and fears should also be voiced. The workforce can then get actively involved and help shape the future. For us, a self-confident workforce is the key to actively building the future," Sophie von Saldern, Global Head of HR at Covestro.

Initial studies comparing the empathy of humans and chatbots

In spring, scientists from the medical field published a study that looked at the question of whether a chatbot assistant with artificial intelligence can provide answers to patient questions that are of comparable quality and empathy to the answers provided by doctors. In this cross-sectional study of 195 randomly selected patient questions from a social media forum, a team of licensed healthcare professionals compared the answers of doctors and chatbots to patient questions posted publicly in a public social media forum¹.

The result: the chatbot answers were preferred to the doctors' answers. The chatbot's answers were rated significantly better in terms of both quality and empathy. The conclusion: artificial intelligence can be empathetic. A fact that has often been regarded as a unique human characteristic.

"What we previously thought was science fiction could now become reality. AI can lead, build relationships and engage in dialog. The next major social and economic transformation is just around the corner: AI can not only perform tasks, but also show human emotions and empathy. The humanization of algorithms is a much-discussed topic," Walter Grüner, Global Head of IT and Digitalization at Covestro.

So will we soon see AI as a colleague who supports us? Or will AI systems become so smart that they make our checks superfluous? The answer probably lies in careful consideration.

"In conclusion, the question arises as to how we as HR managers should respond to the AI revolution. What should guide us? Hysteria, utopia or dystopia?  It is important that we find a unified voice and highlight the challenges and opportunities of AI. HR leaders should act as a social voice and corporate citizen to engage employees in their professional reality and beyond. The future may be uncertain, but with a clear vision and a strong, human-centered approach, we can shape the AI revolution," Sophie von Saldern.

^{1 Study on patients and empathy: Ayers JW, Poliak A, Dredze M, et al. Comparing Physician and Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Responses to Patient Questions Posted to a Public Social Media Forum. JAMA Intern Med. 2023;183(6):589–596. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.1838}