AI – A Topic I Know So Little About!
I know virtually nothing about AI. Yet here I am, Blogging about it. AND yes, I am the actual live Blog author. I am not using AI technology to create this.
AI Discussion is Everywhere
As I draft this (drafted on July 11th), I encountered an article on the CNN Money landing page on this topic. The title: “Bot or not? How to tell when you’re reading something written by AI”
I was running an errand around 11:00 a.m. (also on July 11th). I was listening to WCCO AM radio (I know – old school but I like the hosts). The topic/guest – focused on AI including its possible nefarious uses.
First Client Concern
We just completed an Executive Director retained search for a local non-profit organization. As part of the candidate vetting process, the search committee wanted our firm to get a writing sample. During the search committee discussion, one of the committee members asked how we could assure that the writing sample was created by the candidate directly and not through AI.
We came up with an answer – actually two options:
- Arrange a private room for the candidate – without technology (no computer; no phone) and have them write something (with topic guidelines).
- Ask the candidates to send us something they had written and sent out or published from their past. (The samples that were sent were all verified by their publication dates.)
What was significant about this discussion was simply the fact that we had to have it. We didn’t go too deeply into the AI topic, but did briefly discuss the potential use of AI to create content. What was not concluded – would that future possible AI usage be a good thing or a bad thing for the non-profit.
WE ARE SOCIAL CREATURES
Earlier in the day (July 11th was indeed a prolific AI discussion day), a career coach told me about a candidate who used AI to generate the lead paragraphs (the About section) on their LinkedIn page. I know candidates are using AI to generate resumes. I was reading an article about a job seeker who had AI generate an updated resume for use in her search. The result was more follow-up from employers – they wanted to meet her (different than the lack of follow-up from her own resume writing).
Many questions come to mind . . . . . . what happens when the candidate is in front of a human – the interviewer? Can the person be as articulate as AI was for them? And what happens when the candidate is hired – and has to interact without the assistance of AI to help with wording/idea generation?
OUR FIRST AI-RELATED BLOG TOPIC
This is the first of what I assume will be many Blog entries on the topic of AI as it relates to the Executive Search industry. AI is an evolving science; this is an evolving topic.
Stay tuned for more!