Recruiter's AI Digest #37

Resources and perspectives to keep you ahead of the curve as AI deepens its impact in Recruiting. 🤖

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This week’s digest

Happy thanksgiving to all those who are celebrating! 🦃

Sam Altman and the OpenAI board don’t see AI to AI 🙃

What a week in the world of AI. And not the “what a week of technological advancement kinda week.” More the “what in the hell is going on, kinda week.”

I am sure a lot have you have already seen stories in the news, but Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI was mysteriously fired from his position as CEO on Friday afternoon. This came as a shock to everyone (but the OpenAI board of course).

Here’s a quick timeline of everything that happened last weekend:

• Friday, Nov 17:

  • Altman steps down as CEO, following a board review questioning his candidness.

  • Rumours on X (formerly Twitter) are spreading like wildfire. Was it some form of misconduct on Altman’s end? Was it a difference in point of view on AI Safety between Altman and the board? Or something more sinister?

  • Mira Murati is named interim CEO, but soon after, OpenAI's president, Greg Brockman, announces his resignation.

• Sunday, Nov 19:

  • Microsoft scoops up Altman to head a new AI department, along with Brockman and other OpenAI alumni.

  • At this point, people are beginning to believe that there may have been a board overreaction to something, especially given Brockman and Microsoft both have inside information the public wouldn’t be aware of. If they were backing Altman, then maybe whatever he did wasn’t so bad.

  • All whilst this is going on, there are talks about Altman being reinstated as CEO of OpenAI; the OpenAI board seem steadfast in their position. They appoint Emmett Shear, former Twitch CEO as interim CEO of OpenAI.

Altman posted the above picture on X on Sunday, seemingly having resolved the dispute with the board.

• Monday, Nov 20:

  • Nearly all 800 OpenAI employees sign a letter demanding the board's resignation and Altman's return, threatening to join him at Microsoft. The letter highlights a lack of confidence in the board's competence. Even one of the board members, an OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever signs the letter. What is going on!?

    

• Tuesday, Nov 21: Altman reaches an agreement to return as OpenAI's CEO. The company announces a board reconfiguration, including tech and finance luminaries. Microsoft's Satya Nadella shows support, emphasizing the importance of stable governance.

After all that drama, the OpenAI team is mostly where it started off. Some key things coming out of this saga are:

• Microsoft’s power: Microsoft seemingly have a lot of power in the Microsoft x OpenAI relationship, with Satya Nadella proving a key player in negotiations

• Still no answers: It is still unclear why the board made the initial decision. Some are claiming that it is about Sam pushing forward on work on a model known internally as Project Q*, which could represent a major breakthrough in the company's pursuit of artificial general intelligence (AGI) – a highly autonomous branch of AI superintelligence capable of outperforming humans in most tasks.

People are looking for answers, and more details will certainly emerge over coming weeks.

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​In this week’s newsletter, some awesome material worth checking out:

• 📖 Articles:

  • Why Do We Resist AI?
    (Kevin Wheeler)

  • ChatGPT voice rolled out for free users
    (OpenAI)

  • Bill Gates teases the possibility of a 3-day work week
    (Fortune)

  • Google’s Bard AI chatbot can now answer questions about YouTube videos
    (TechCrunch)

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Are there people you know struggling to digest all the AI news? Share this newsletter with them. 🙏

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Why Do We Resist AI?
(Kevin Wheeler)

Source: Future of Talent Newsletter: Kevin Wheeler

Here’s an overview of Kevin Wheeler's insights into why some recruiters are hesitant to jump on the AI bandwagon. Let's quickly hit the highlights:

1. AI's Role in Recruitment: Despite fears of impersonality, AI tools like chatbots are actually enhancing candidate experiences with their efficiency and availability. 🤖

2. Candidate Communication: Contrary to popular belief, candidates often prefer the quick and accessible responses from AI, over waiting for human interaction. 📱

3. Intuition vs. AI in Assessments: While recruiters trust their intuition, research shows AI can provide more objective and less biased evaluations. 🧠

4. AI's Impact on Recruiter Influence: AI doesn't replace the recruiter's role in coaching; it simply shifts their focus to more strategic tasks. 🔄

5. Understanding Hiring Managers: AI's analytical capabilities can offer recruiters deeper insights into hiring managers' preferences, challenging the notion that only humans can understand these nuances. 🕵️‍♂️

6. The Evolution of Interviews: AI is increasingly capable of conducting effective initial screenings, changing the traditional interview landscape. 🎙️

Read it in Kevin’s newsletter here:

Why Do We Resist AI?

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ChatGPT voice rolled out for free users
(OpenAI)

Amidst all the chaos, ChatGPT are still shipping features like it’s nobodies business. 🚢 ChatGPT is now lending an ear, and a voice, to everyone! In a playful twist amidst corporate drama, OpenAI has announced that all users can now interact with ChatGPT using voice commands in their mobile app. 📱

What's New with ChatGPT?

• Voice Feature for All: Initially a perk for paying users, the voice interaction feature has been rolled out for free to all users. Just tap the headphones icon in the app and start chatting away.

• A Nod to Recent Events: The announcement comes amid the rollercoaster saga of their CEO's ousting and return. OpenAI even infused humor about the situation in its demo, asking ChatGPT how many pizzas to order for a team the size of OpenAI's staff - a nod to their recent turmoil.

How might voiced enabled AI impact recruiting in future?

• Voice-Powered Interviews: Imagine conducting preliminary interviews through ChatGPT. Candidates can respond to initial screening questions via voice, making the process more dynamic and personal.

• 24/7 Candidate Support: Use ChatGPT to provide instant answers to candidates’ queries outside regular working hours. It's like having an always-on recruitment assistant.

• Language Accessibility: This feature could be a boon for engaging with candidates who are more comfortable speaking than writing, broadening your talent pool.

• Feedback and Surveys: Collect post-interview feedback or conduct quick surveys via voice, offering a more user-friendly experience for candidates.

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Bill Gates teases the possibility of a 3-day work week
(Fortune)

Bill Gates, Microsoft's visionary founder, recently shared his optimistic view on AI's impact on our work lives. Here's the gist of his thoughts:

• Three-Day Work Week: Gates predicts AI could enable a shorter work week, shifting from the traditional five days to just three. This stems from AI's potential to significantly boost productivity and reduce the need for human labor in routine tasks.

• AI as a Force for Good: Contrary to fears of job displacement, Gates sees AI creating a utopian scenario where machines handle mundane tasks, freeing humans for more meaningful work or leisure.

• Tech Leaders' Perspectives: Gates isn't alone in this thought. JPMorgan’s CEO Jamie Dimon talks about a future 3.5-day workweek, while Elon Musk envisions AI enabling a world where work is optional. IBM’s CEO Arvind Krishna also highlights AI’s role in job transformation, not displacement.

• Contrasting Views: However, not all leaders are in agreement. Some, like Workday’s Carl Eschenbach and Duukan’s Suumit Shah, see AI as leading to workforce reductions, as evidenced by recent layoffs focusing on AI integration.

• The Shorter Week in Practice: Some companies and regions are already experimenting with shorter work weeks, like Samsung's monthly Friday off and Iceland's successful four-day workweek trial.

Gates' take on AI and the future of work is a blend of idealism and practicality, envisioning a world where AI empowers us to live and work better, not harder.

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Google’s Bard AI chatbot can now answer questions about YouTube videos
(TechCrunch)

Big news from Google: Bard AI is now a YouTube wizard, answering all your video content queries. This could be a major plus for your recruitment strategies. Here’s the lowdown:

• YouTube Video Analysis: 🕵️‍♂️ Bard AI can now answer specific questions about YouTube video content. Watching a video and got a question? Just ask Bard for an in-depth answer.

• AI-Powered Conversation Tool: 🗣️ YouTube’s new AI tool responds to your questions in real-time as you watch a video. Plus, a comment summarizer feature gives you an overview of the main topics in the comments section. I can imagine a world where employee onboarding becomes more interactive, where they watch videos, but can ask questions along the way which are answered for them.

• Accessible to Younger Users: 👦👧 Bard is now open to teens globally, encouraging them to explore and ask questions on a wide range of topics.

Full article here.

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