Accenture exec says HR must manage AI bots alongside people

In short: An Accenture executive says HR teams will need to manage AI bots at work much like they manage employees.

What's going on

Matt Prebble, an executive at Accenture, said companies are reaching a point where they will have to manage “AI bots” as well as humans. These bots are software programs that can carry out tasks on their own, like a digital assistant that can follow instructions and complete steps without someone watching every move.

Prebble’s point is not that bots need pay or holidays. It is that businesses will need clear rules for how bots are used, who is responsible for their actions, and how their work is checked. In the same way HR sets policies for hiring, training, and performance reviews, it may need similar systems for bots, including what they are allowed to do and what data they can access.

He also said businesses will be forced to rethink leadership models. That is because teams may increasingly include a mix of people and automated helpers, and managers will need to decide how work is divided and how results are measured. A simple analogy is a restaurant adding self-order kiosks, staff roles change and the manager’s job changes too.

What to watch

Watch for HR policies that cover “digital workers,” including approval processes, audit trails (a record of what the bot did), and accountability when something goes wrong. As more routine work is handed to software, companies may also change job titles, training plans, and what they look for in new hires.

Source: Financial Times