At the start of the year, I highlighted the importance of staying on top of developments in artificial intelligence for Scottish businesses.
One of the points I had discussed was the uncertainty around what impact AI might have on employment and how it will change the job landscape.
My focus at the time was of course, the potential for jobs to be replaced with AI technology, but last week I spotted a news story suggesting it has impacted employment in rather unexpected ways.
Recruitment firm Hays has announced findings from a survey conducted during February and March this year, which revealed that 22 per cent of Scots have used AI during the job application process, including help in writing their CVs.
I guess it makes sense as AI becomes more prominent that people might turn to platforms such as ChatGPT to help finesse CVs and applications.
I wouldn’t like to see people rely too heavily on it though. A good employer will of course have boxes to tick in terms of key words they’re looking for in applications, but they also want a team of people who each bring something different to the table. We need different points of view and different life experiences to continually challenge ways of working and bring fresh thinking and ideas.
Job hunters should let their personality shine through and show what they would bring to the table that differs from their colleagues, not just how they tick boxes by using a uniform answer.
That being said, nearly half of the respondents across the UK reckon they’ve been more successful by using AI.
And it’s not just prospective candidates who can make use of the technology – there’s scope for employers to use AI to evaluate job applications. Only nine per cent of businesses surveyed by Hays said that they currently do, but 29 per cent expect that they will in the future.
It raises some interesting questions. Yes, there’s absolutely the potential for AI to have a positive impact on recruitment as well as other areas of business, but there’s still a lot of unknowns too.
Many are concerned about exposing their intellectual property and data to an AI system and how reliable it really is. However, I think over time we’ll see the technology slowly have more and more influence over the way businesses operate – as we come to better understand it.
I mean, who would have thought even a year ago that a fifth of Scots would be using AI in the recruitment process.
As much as the now infamous Wonka event propelled Glasgow into headlines worldwide for the wrong reasons, it fueled a conversation around AI.
It was widely reported that the organiser had used AI to generate the script for the event, as well as the very impressive looking marketing material. So, where is the line drawn between using an AI tool to polish an event, marketing material, produce a book, or write a CV, and be accused of deceiving people?
The line was quite clearly crossed with Glasgow’s Wonka as the event couldn’t live up to the AI generated vision used to sell tickets. But what is acceptable? How can we blend creativity and individuality with AI to finesse, streamline, boost productivity without infringing copyright or mislead.
Could it affect the quality of candidates if they can’t deliver what they promise in their AI generated CV?
I don’t think we have the answer yet.
However, it would be great to see employers training and upskilling staff in AI tools beneficial for their sector.
Gain as much knowledge as you can so you can make sure it is a positive force for your business, and even as an asset for the recruitment process. The more widespread AI training becomes and adopted in positive ways, the less skeptical people will be of it.
I’ll be interested to look back on my columns about AI, even just at the start of next year, to see how much things have progressed, and if AI infiltrates other areas of business we’re yet to consider.
Book festival fallout shows CSR isn’t risk-free
Sponsorship can be a core part of a business’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. However, a recent dissolution of a longstanding partnership has highlighted how important it can be to get the partnership right.
After working together for 20 years, The Edinburgh International Book Festival has ended its funding partnership with Edinburgh-based investment management company, Baillie Gifford, following outrage from protestors.
Pressure from climate change campaigners has mounted since Greta Thunberg pulled out of last year’s event. Some authors also voiced their concerns, threatening to boycott the event if no action was taken.
The reason for the boycott? Baillie Gifford has come under scrutiny for its alleged investments in fossil fuels and climate campaigners are clearly upset.
This is an important cultural event in Scotland’s diary and the festival director has already acknowledged that without private sponsorship, it could be unviable.
The festival has announced that it felt compelled to cut ties with Baillie Gifford – which has strongly refuted many of the allegations made by activists – due to the pressure it faced, and if they did keep the partnership, they could not guarantee a safe event for those attending.
This partnership worked for two decades and has contributed hugely to the success of the festival, as well as supporting many up-and-coming authors. Now all of this could be in jeopardy because the festival listened only to the views of activists and not its long-term commercial partner. You have to wonder who actually benefits from this decision?
It Made Me Laugh
Swift studies: pop power meets academia
In case you’ve somehow managed to avoid the Swift-mania sweeping the country, Taylor Swift returned to Scotland to perform for the first time in nearly 10 years and her fans were out in full force.
Last weekend the capital was flooded with ‘Swifties’ and businesses in the East felt the positive force of the ‘Taylor Swift effect.’ Hotels and restaurants were fully booked, whilst retailers felt the economic boost too.
A University of Glasgow law student has even written her dissertation on the pop star, discussing the singer rerecording her albums following a copyright dispute.
The story made me chuckle, it turns out you can combine your love for Taylor Swift with your ambitions to achieve a law degree – that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say!
It Made Me Weep
Plain panic: beloved Scottish bread disappears
There was panic across the country when people realised that our supermarket shelves were empty, and Mother’s Pride bread was nowhere to be found.
The well-known Scottish product, more commonly known as plain bread or breid, hasn’t been in shops for more than two weeks now and people aren’t happy.
Panic not, Hovis has blamed a manufacturing issue despite the discontinuation rumours and promised it will be back on store shelves soon, if not already.
I’m not usually one to make a fuss, but the much-loved, iconic Scottish product has been a household staple since 1936, so it would be a real loss. After all there’s nothing better than a slice of pan bread toasted – or two.
