Recruiters leading the policy conversation on assurance for AI RecTech

AI racing ahead as developments just keep on coming!

The development wave of the latest generation of AI technologies continues to break as Microsoft has now made Bard, a natural language processing (NLP) chatbot that is connected to the internet, available for use by a limited group of 18+ users. Connecting the technology to the internet means it can provide and reference new information in real-time just as soon as it is posted on the web.

This overcomes one of the limitations seen in rival technologies such as ChatGPT, which has only been programmed with data up to 2021.

However, the way that many of us are amazed by this technology is tempered by our concerns over the challenges that it may bring. Recently, in this blog, we highlighted the issue of governance, regulation and the need for legal frameworks to be updated, revised, or perhaps even rewritten to provide clarity, assert an ethical approach and propagate good governance of AI technologies.

Luckily, when it comes to assurance around AI technologies and the capabilities that they may impart to other platforms or devices, such as search and selection software or robot interviewers, we are not coming from a low base.

UK and Australia global leaders on governance of AI

Global thinking on assurance and governance of AI technologies is rapidly evolving as the field of AI becomes more ubiquitous in society. At a high level, there is growing recognition that AI poses unique risks and challenges that require new approaches to ensure the field is ethical.

Many organisations and initiatives are wrestling with key issues related to fairness, accountability, transparency, privacy, and security. The objective is to develop standards, frameworks, and guidelines for the responsible development and use of AI technologies. At global, regional and national levels, some notable examples include:

• The IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems – Develops a set of ethical principles for AI and autonomous systems, as well as a certification program.
• The Partnership on AI – A multi-stakeholder organisation that brings together industry, academia, and civil society to advance responsible AI practices and promote public understanding of AI technologies.
• The European Commission’s Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI – These guidelines provide a framework for the development and deployment of AI that is ethical, transparent and respects fundamental rights.
• The OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence – These principles provide a set of values and recommendations for the responsible development and use of AI so it enhances human welfare and promotes sustainable and inclusive growth.
• UK – For the UK, a government-led initiative is the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CEDI), a government expert body working to enable the trustworthy use of data and AI.
• Australia – For Australia, a government-led initiative under the Department of Industry, Science and Resources is developing The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics Framework guides businesses and governments to responsibly design, develop and implement AI. One ambitious aim is to make Australia a global leader in responsible and inclusive AI.

Of course, these projects and initiatives are still very much works in progress. There is a growing awareness of the need for assurance and governance frameworks for AI technologies, but creating them remains a moving target that requires continual reevaluation and revision to make sure guidelines and requirements keep up with technological advancement.

Recruiters need to take the lead in developing governance

To ensure that governance frameworks are developed so that they do not create unnecessary issues for the recruitment industry, individuals and organisations that lead the recruitment sector must be part of the process. Key areas of focus include:

• Developing ethical principles and standards – Designing principles and standards to ensure AI RecTech solutions align with ethical values, such as fairness, accountability, and transparency.
• Conducting ethical assessments – Gap analysis to identify any ethical concerns or biases in the AI and algorithms used in recruitment.
• Incorporating human oversight – Such oversight helps to mitigate any potential negative impacts of AI on the recruitment process by providing checks and balances in the form of emotional intelligence.
• Ensuring data privacy and security – AI RecTech systems need to secure and protect the privacy of candidate data by complying with data protection regulations and using encryption and other security measures.
• Establishing industry-wide best practices – Establishing best practices for AI RecTech that promote ethical and responsible use of AI in recruitment, to provide assurance it is used in a way that is fair, unbiased, and transparent.
• Promoting transparency and accountability – Agencies and employers need to be encouraged to provide clear explanations of how their AI systems work and to be accountable for the decisions made by such AI systems.

The UK trade body REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) is a long-established leader in recruitment industry issues. Using a mix of content and hosting events, such as webinars and working with the CEDI government initiative to drive the conversation and allow recruiters to be part of the dialogue.

Other trade organisations promoting similar conversations in the UK also include the Institute of Recruitment Professionals (IRP), the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

In Australia activity to shape the conversation and the development of the ethical use of AI is being carried out by trade bodies such as the Recruitment, Consulting and Staffing Association (RCSA), the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) and the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).

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