## AI for a More Equitable Workplace: How Salesforce is Leading the Way
The conversation around AI in the workplace often focuses on its potential to boost efficiency and creativity. However, a critical aspect often overlooked is AI’s power to foster a more equitable and inclusive workplace. The latest episode of Mint’s ‘All About AI’ series, presented in association with Salesforce, delves into this crucial topic.
The episode featured senior leaders from Salesforce, who shared valuable insights on how AI can both contribute to and hinder efforts toward creating equitable workplaces. Sriram Dinavahi, VP of Engineering; Molly Q. Ford, VP of Employer Brand and Recruitment Marketing; and Alexandra Legend Seigel, SVP and Chief Equality Officer, led the discussion, emphasizing the importance of incorporating all voices in AI development and addressing inherent biases within the technology.
Centering All Voices in AI Development
Alexandra Seigel highlighted the critical role of AI as an aggregator of diverse viewpoints. “When we think about AI, it is critical that we are centering all voices, all perspectives when creating the technology of the future,” she stressed. Acknowledging the presence of bias in society, she emphasized the need to intentionally address it in innovation, workplaces, and technology. By doing so, Seigel believes we can create technology that truly reflects and benefits everyone.
Navigating the Dual Impact of AI
Sriram Dinavahi emphasized the dual nature of technological advancements, stating, “Every technological change brings both challenges and opportunities, and in the long run, opportunity prevails.” He stressed the importance of continuous education and upskilling in response to the rapid pace of AI development. By fostering employee understanding of AI’s utilization, the data it processes, and the productivity it drives, organizations can bridge the current trust gap within their workforce.
Dinavahi also emphasized Salesforce’s commitment to ensuring that AI fosters inclusivity across the board, acknowledging their responsibility as a leader in tech development.
Embracing AI’s Potential for a More Dynamic Workforce
Molly Ford urged the industry to embrace AI’s potential, stating, “We need to move beyond fear because AI is here to stay.” She believes AI can enhance creativity by empowering employees to focus on more innovative tasks, ultimately contributing to a more dynamic workforce.
Salesforce’s Ethical AI Approach
Salesforce has already made significant strides in integrating AI to promote diversity and inclusion. Alexandra Siegel highlighted AI’s use in developing inclusive coaching tools, automating tasks related to equality initiatives, and broadening outreach to underrepresented groups.
AI can also play a pivotal role in reducing bias in recruitment processes, ensuring that diverse talent is considered fairly. To mitigate the risks associated with AI, Salesforce has implemented ethical guidelines through its Office of Ethics and Humane Use. This initiative ensures human intervention in AI processes and maintains transparency in decision-making. Dinavahi added that Salesforce encourages flexibility by allowing customers to choose the AI models best suited to their needs. This adaptability and customization ensure that AI tools remain under user control.
To ensure AI consistency, Dinavahi underscored the importance of grounding AI models in accurate, relevant data and using prompt engineering to enhance AI responses. By focusing on these aspects, Salesforce aims to deliver AI solutions that are reliable and consistent in their outcomes.
Essential Skills in an AI-Powered Future
On the topic of AI-led talent planning, Molly Ford remarked, “When does my digital coworker start? I can’t wait to hand off some of my activities!” Ford envisions a future where digital agents or “talent bots” streamline the recruitment process, efficiently matching job seekers with suitable opportunities based on their skills, preferences, and career goals.
She believes AI-powered tools can help recruiters identify top talent more effectively, saving time and resources. By automating tasks like resume screening, AI empowers recruiters to focus on building meaningful connections with potential candidates. This personalized approach can enhance the candidate experience and attract top talent to companies like Salesforce.
Speaking on one of his favorite use cases of AI, Dinavahi said, “Slack AI has helped us maintain our sanity, prioritize things, be efficient, and get work done. It was very overwhelming using Slack only, but since Slack AI has come about, we don’t feel an information overload anymore.”
Seigel sees the potential of AI tools to address workplace gender inequality. “Research shows that women have less access on average than men to career sponsors. So there can be some AI agent that can connect them to those opportunities or help them understand what they need to do to connect to senior leaders.”
Human Skills Remain Paramount
The insightful discussion concluded with the speakers agreeing that even in an AI-powered future, the most in-demand skills will remain human skills. While data and AI competency will be essential for staying relevant, uniquely human skills like empathy, creative thinking, and agility will be required more than ever.
Empathetic leaders who demonstrate out-of-the-box thinking will remain in high demand, regardless of AI’s advancements. By prioritizing both technological and human skills, we can create a future where AI empowers a more equitable and inclusive workplace for everyone.
