Artificial Intelligence applications in HRM: opportunities and risks

This project extends our understanding of how artificial intelligence transforms the HRM function and affects specifically the hiring and promotion of employees considering risks for discrimination.

Factsheet

Schools involved School of Engineering and Computer Science
Business School
Institute(s) Institut für Optimierung und Datenanalyse IODA
Research unit(s) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Funding organisation BFH
Duration 01.01.2020 - 31.12.2021
Head of project Prof. Dr. Caroline Straub
Project staff Prof. Dr. Olivier Mermoud
Prof. Dr. Erik Graf
Prof. Dr. Jérémie Knüsel
Keywords AI, Recruitment

Situation

Through digitization, organizations have new techniques at hand for managing their workforce. In the last decade, startups developed HR solutions based on artificial intelligence (AI), and now offer software for identifying suitable candidates for a job. Researchers and practitioners ask to be vigilant about how we design and train AI, as otherwise we risk constructing AI that mirrors a narrow and privileged vision of society, with its old, familiar biases and stereotypes.

Course of action

The aim of this project is to provide an overview of the status of AI use in Swiss companies and to design a pilot AI experiment.

Result

• Literature review about AI in HRM. • Exchange with AI experts, AI providers and users. • Design of a pilot AI experiment.

Looking ahead

The one-year project serves as a preliminary study for the development of instruments to reduce or overcome the risks associated with the use of AI in human resource management.