Employers can boost motivation and learning by giving their employees the autonomy to overrule artificial intelligence decisions from the start, according to a recent study by researchers at the University of Auckland and the University of Western Australia.
In addition, combining early autonomy with incentive pay can create an environment where employees feel more engaged and learn faster, they found.
“Imagine you’re a financial specialist at a bank. You input details for a mortgage application, and the AI system recommends declining it,” Frank Ma, one of the study authors and a lecturer at the University of Auckland Business School, said in a statement. “While the system is based on hard data, as a human, you can recognize nuances — ‘soft’ information — that AI can miss. This is where the ability to overrule the system is beneficial.”
In the study, 161 participants completed a series of online tasks, which were designed to simulate real-world scenarios in sectors where AI is used for managerial decision-making.
The researchers found that when participants felt empowered to overrule AI decisions early, they became more motivated and better equipped to handle complex tasks. Giving immediate flexibility allowed for more opportunities to override system decisions, and combined with incentive pay, participants were more likely to put in more effort to make the final call accurately.
On the other hand, delaying the autonomy to override AI appeared to have a detrimental effect on employee motivation, which could limit learning and performance.
“Employees with incentive schemes and immediate flexibility get a better understanding of their roles and improve their performance,” Ma said. “We believe this is due to developing a more in-depth understanding of how the computer system or AI generates its decision.”
The U.S. Department of Labor has recommended that employers include workers in their AI plans and implement the tools with transparency. The department said AI should be developed and trained to protect workers and that employers should have “clear governance systems, procedures, human oversight, and evaluation processes” for workplace AI.
At the same time, most business leaders believe they can’t train employees quickly enough to keep up with AI and other tech developments during the next three years, according to a World Employment Confederation survey. Most leaders also said these tech disruptions will require companies to rethink skills, resources and new ways of doing work to cover the technical and soft skills gaps.
However, HR teams are often left out of AI plans despite the need for upskilling and people management, according to a McLean & Co. report. HR leaders could help develop a strategic approach that maximizes return on investment and mitigates harms to reputation, security and inclusivity, the firm said.