The machine gets its 'Seat at the table'
SteveAt the risk of having a $100 fine/mandatory donation slapped down on me from Professor Matt Stollak, I felt compelled to crack out the (tired) 'Seat at the table' line, the often-repeated metaphoric goal or target for HR leaders, and that is still referenced by many a conference speaker, when I caught this interesting piece from Betabeat - V.C. Firm Names Robot to Board of Directors.
You can probably tell where I am going with this take just from the title of the Betabeat piece, but in case you'd like some details, here is the gist of the story:
In case you needed more proof that all our jobs will one day be occupied by robots, a Hong Kong V.C. firm has just named an artificial intelligence tool to its board of directors. The company’s also insisting the tool will be treated as an “equal” to the other board members.
A press release from Aging Analytics UK, a company that conducts research on biotechnology and regenerative medicine, made two announcements this morning: first, that they’ve launched an new A.I. tool called VITAL (Validating Investment Tool for Advancing Life Sciences); and second, that they’ve licensed VITAL to Hong Kong V.C. firm Deep Knowledge Ventures, where the tool will become an “equal member of its Board of Directors.”
VITAL uses machine learning to predict which life science companies will make for successful investments, the press release explains. That’s why it’ll be of use to Deep Knowledge Ventures, which “routinely invest[s] in both private and public companies specializing in biotechnology, regenerative medicine, oncology, drug discovery, bioinformatics and personalized medicine,” according to their website.
On the (board) meetings investors will firstly discuss the analytical reviews made by VITAL. All the decisions on investing will be made strictly after VITAL provides it’s data. We say that VITAL has been acknowledged as an equal member of the board of directors, because it’s opinion (actually, the analysis) will be considered as probably the most important one. So basically yes, it will be incorporated into meetings.
Awesome, right? The robot, or really not so much a robot, but a smart machine with a bunch of algorithms is going to be an 'equal member' of the board of directors, and have its 'voice' heard at the ACTUAL TABLE, (no word if it will really have a seat as well, but so what?).
You could just let this story go as kind of a goof or a publicity stunt, but if you take maybe five minutes to think about it, it once again validates everything we think we know about why so frequently HR leaders are not equal members and participants in the organization's strategic planning processes.
VITAL, the robot director, only applies data and logic in making its recommendations. It has no inherent bias. It is not even aware of how the other directors perceive its abilities, even the crusty old directors that 'Don't get all this newfangled technology'. It is not scared to issue its advice, since robots probably can't get scared, and it 'knows' it is operating from facts and a kind of defensible set of processes. VITAL isn't out to 'prove' anything to skeptics, or people with 'business' sense.
VITAL actually sounds like the perfect Director, when you think about it.
Reader Comments (3)
If the direction was
<robot voice on> "forward in a continuous motion, with no deviations or reason to be emotional" <robot voice off>
In reality after saying that it makes me wonder if half the big companies had robot board members decades ago.
ouch.
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