While many HR professionals are exploring various AI use cases and shaping tangible visions for the future, the question still remains: how do we use AI in HR ethically to capitalise on opportunities without jeopardising trust and fairness?
A look at the roadmaps of HR system manufacturers shows that AI functionalities are constantly being developed further. However, this does not make HR's responsibility to ensure people-centred and non-discriminatory processes any easier. We examine the relevance of ethics and AI in HR from three perspectives.
Transparency and Control Mechanisms in Accordance with the EU AI Act
The EU AI Act creates clear rules for the use of AI and categorises systems according to their risk potential. In HR in particular, AI applications are considered "high risk" as they affect decisions that can have a significant impact on employees' careers and futures. Transparency and traceability are essential here: the algorithms and their decisions must be communicated clearly to all parties involved.
In addition, the EU AI Act requires human control as part of the processes in order to avoid potentially incorrect decisions. A documentation obligation for the use of AI in HR is intended to ensure traceability and compliance.
Traceability through Explainable AI
Legal requirements alone are not enough - technological transparency is just as important. "Explainable AI" (XAI) describes systems whose decisions are comprehensible. This is crucial in order to create trust and avoid discrimination.
The XAI approach reveals which factors and weightings have influenced a decision, making complex models understandable. This requires the implementation of algorithms that are both interpretable and auditable. For example, decision trees or rule-based systems can be used to make the decision-making logic understandable for HR specialists.
The aim is to ensure that AI decisions are not perceived as a "black box", but as fair and comprehensible tools. This ensures that AI-supported decisions are fair for everyone involved.
Humans as Moral Actors
After regulations and technology, one thing remains central: the human being, whose actions are always characterised by moral considerations. Morality refers to the prevailing social rules (norms). Many historical and current social developments show that these are not always "good" per se. Ultimately, the question also arises when using AI: What should I do?
On the one hand, it is important to scrutinise morality with critical reflection (ethics). Companies and individuals decide on the use of AI and bear the responsibility. A corporate culture that promotes ethical reflection is therefore crucial.
The ethos - the basic personal attitude - is crucial here and raises the second question: Who do I want to be? Managers in particular should be measured more by ethical standards and not just by quarterly figures.
Implementation in Human Resources
The various perspectives show that dealing with ethics in HR is not just a duty, but an opportunity to position oneself as a future-oriented organisation. Our recommendations for successful implementation:
- Create governance structures to organise AI processes in an ethical and legally compliant manner.
- Examine tools that use XAI and offer transparent systems.
- Promote a corporate culture in which both the use of AI and human behaviour are ethically reflected.
Authors
Sandra Lugonjic
HR Strategies
As a strategy consultant at HR Campus, Sandra supports companies in making their Employee Experience measurable and tangible and improving it through targeted strategic measures. With her experience in the areas of employer branding and people development, she supports customers who want to position themselves as attractive employers.
Felix Anderegg
Technology Consulting
Felix is Head of Technology and Innovation at HR Campus. With a Master's degree in Business Informatics (ZHAW) and many years of experience in Technology and Software Development, he focusses on AI in HR. He drives conversational business solutions (chatbots) along the employee life cycle and developed the AI-based HR solutions "Edi - Expense Intelligence" and "Sophie - your little HR friend".
Esmir Davorovic
HR Strategies
Esmir is an HR strategy consultant and project manager at HR Campus. He is passionate about Digitalisation and its implementation in companies. It is obvious that not all challenges can be digitised away. He has been critically examining the ethics of AI and being human in a digitalised world since his philosophy studies at the latest.