"Firing Decisions Made by Soulless AI?"... It Was Not Just a Worry

Suspicions of 'AI Involvement' in Google's Massive Layoffs
Denied but Possibility Increasing
98% of US HR Managers Say "Will Use Algorithms"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Sung-wook] "Isn't it the 'soulless algorithm' developed to comply with all laws that decided the layoff targets?"

Such comments reportedly circulated in online chat rooms among hundreds of Google employees following the workforce reduction of 12,000 people last month. Google has denied that algorithms were involved in the layoffs. However, the possibility of companies in the United States relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to determine layoff targets is gradually increasing.

On the 20th (local time), The Washington Post (WP) reported, "Corporate HR managers are using AI software when deciding on interviews, hiring, and promotion candidates," indicating that these concerns are not entirely unfounded. Previously, software evaluation site Capterra conducted a survey last month of 300 corporate HR managers, with 98% responding that they would use software and algorithms to decide on layoff targets this year.

According to WP, large corporations are already extensively utilizing algorithms for employee recruitment and performance evaluation. These programs build vast databases (DB) on employees' careers, qualifications, and skills to allocate personnel appropriately. However, since algorithms are also used for performance evaluations, they can conversely be used to identify low performers for layoffs.

There are also algorithms known to analyze characteristics of employees with high turnover rates, which can similarly be referenced when deciding layoff targets. However, if the cause of turnover is environmental issues such as workplace racial discrimination, this could adversely affect specific groups like Black employees.

For this reason, experts argue that HR managers need to clearly understand the nature of algorithms and transparently explain to company members how these algorithms are utilized. Brian Westfall, head of HR analytics at Capterra, pointed out, "It can be risky to make decisions blindly following algorithmic judgments or using incorrect data."