As Teleperformance sifts through the artificial intelligence hype cycle, the French call center company said it doesn’t want to lose sight of how the technology will impact workers.
“We really do believe that AI is a tool,” said Alan Winters, Teleperformance’s chief people officer, during a virtual conversation hosted by Fortune in partnership with UKG and Great Place to Work. “And if you think about it as a tool, then how do you arm your people to best use that tool for whatever interaction they happen to be doing?”
Wall Street has questioned if AI will become so advanced that it will fully replace workers in customer service roles, like those employed at a call center. But Teleperformance sees the technology as augmentative, helping increase the accuracy of call center employees and removing friction, Winters said. “You can’t let the hype of AI overtake human interaction.” He believes that the human touch is a market differentiator.
Aviva has a similar position on AI. The U.K.-based insurer has been using generative AI to improve customer support. As a result, hold times for incoming calls have dropped by 50%.
“We want [customer service representatives] to say, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll look after you,’” said Danny Harmer, chief people officer at Aviva. “We’re using gen AI in the claim space to find the right information really quickly and then summarize the claim.”
Aviva is also educating the company’s workforce on AI and data usage, while Teleperformance is in the process of redeveloping its education awareness program to discuss similar topics. Those are critical steps to building trust among employees, noted Tony Bond, an executive vice president as well as chief diversity and innovation officer at Great Place to Work.
“What does it look like to build trust in an AI environment?” Bond asked. He advocates that employers be clear about the tasks that will be off-loaded to AI and the importance of work that’s more uniquely qualified for people. “It’s a really important question that we’re continuing to answer.”
Only about 40% of employees say they understand how AI is being used at their organizations, according to a recent Great Place to Work survey of 27,000 European employees, meaning a majority aren’t well versed in the technology that’s top of mind for nearly every C-suite leader. And while three out of four people want to use AI at work, they also say they don’t feel they are properly trained.
Cisco Norway is using AI to not only automate repetitive tasks, but also free up resources for more strategic and creative thinking. It uses AI internally and develops solutions with AI for the company’s customers. In both cases, it is critical to think of establishing responsible AI frameworks and guardrails, including proper employee training, said Trine Strømsnes, CEO of Cisco Norway.
“It is a long journey,” said Strømsnes. “We are just starting it.”
Aviva, Cisco, and Teleperformance executives all agree C-suite leaders are responsible for determining AI strategy, but it isn’t only driven by CEOs and chief information officers. AI is so expansive that every department should be seriously thinking about how AI technology will change the future of work.
Given that they all have a presence in Europe, the trio will also be subject to regulatory rules that were approved by the European Union’s parliament and could be implemented as soon as 2025. Some have argued such regulation could put Europe further behind the U.S. and China when it comes to AI advancement.
“We’re going to have to try and stay ahead of the development of the technology and the risks, which is going to be tricky,” Harmer noted. “It requires thoughtfulness.”
Strømsnes stressed that regardless of the status of emerging government regulations, companies need to create their own AI frameworks. “You need to take responsibility for yourself,” said Strømsnes. “Because it’s your data, and that’s important.”
“It can be a cumbersome and challenging environment, but the way we view it is these regulations help us in the execution and the implementation of the technology, they do not hinder us,” Winters added.
And as Apple and Google reimagine smartphones with AI, questions emerge about how comfortable corporate IT departments are allowing staff to have access to AI that’s permeating their personal devices that may also be used for work tasks. This isn’t the first time tech leaders have confronted this problem: When smartphones were first developed, employees pushed to use their own devices for work, and IT departments were tasked with setting up safety guardrails to make that a reality.
Harmer said Aviva’s chief technology officer is responsible for deciding what technologies are offered to employees. But ultimately, what’s most important is that the guidance is transparent. “Be clear about how people should or shouldn’t be sharing company data onto other systems,” Harmer noted.
Cisco has been thinking about these questions for quite some time, establishing a responsible AI framework five years before generative AI caught everyone’s attention. Cisco doesn’t allow employees to use open platforms on work devices, but does permit the usage of a contained version of ChatGPT.
“It’s not that we don’t trust our employees,” said Strømsnes. “It’s about … ‘I can trust what I’m doing on my company device, and I don’t need to be extra careful.’”