When — and Why — You Should Explain How Your AI Works | Harvard Business Review

With the 2022 HR Technology Conference & Exposition rapidly approaching, HR leaders and their teams are excited to learn about the latest technology covering all aspects of HR, including recruiting, development, and employee experience. And even if one didn’t read the conference agenda, one would expect the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in HR to be a key theme of the conference’s sessions. And guess what? AI is covered in several sessions! But as pointed out in this HBR article, it’s important for purchasers of AI platforms to understand how AI works and derives its predictions and inferences—a process often described as “explainable AI.” The article provides ideas on 1) what makes an AI explanation good and 2) how to determine when explainability is needed. Since the article talks about AI in general versus through the lens of HR and talent, I am resharing this 59-page toolkit by the World Economic Forum. This resource provides ideas to promote the responsible use of HR-based AI tools. It includes two editable checklists and questionnaires to guide the evaluation and implementation of HR-based AI platforms. 1) Tool Assessment Checklist (pages 29-45) focuses on the decision to adopt a specific AI-based HR tool, including questions to ask vendors and organizational stakeholders. 2) Planning Checklist (pages 46-54) addresses how firms can plan to use AI in HR strategically and how HR can develop the capacity to support these efforts. This resource provides excellent insights into using AI-based HR tools that are fair and explainable.