Generative AI: are we entering a new era?

Nearly 50 graduates were welcomed to the Espace Cléry to present the results of the 2024 SKEMA x EY barometer on the expectations of young talents vis-a-vis their future employers, with a particular focus on generative AI in business.

We would like to thank our two alumni experts for their testimonials: Stéphane Meunier (SKEMA 1998), Talent Acquisition Director, ONEPOINT, and Guillaune Rouzaud (SKEMA 2011), Human Resources Director, ADEO, alongside our Keynote, Amine Ezzerouali, Director of the MSc in International HR and Performance Management, and our Moderator, Francis Wolinski, Associate Professor, MSc in Artificial Intelligence for Business Transformation.

Starting with the observation that generative AI is making its mark on student and professional life, the participants focused their attention on two major themes: should we be afraid of it, and what are its limits?

AI in higher education: a mix of opportunities and challenges
To start the ball rolling, Amine Ezzerouali shared some figures on use: 4 out of 5 students use generative AI, 45% of them on an almost daily basis, and 85% of students have already tried AI at least once.*

This use in higher education raises a fundamental question about the principle of evaluation.

Today, AI is becoming more sophisticated as it becomes more widespread. While the barometer shows a growing awareness of AI's benefits as a working tool, there is a certain fear in terms of employment.

64% of students believe they will be using generative AI tools in their first job. At the same time, 64% say they are training themselves in these new uses on their own, showing that there is insufficient teaching in higher education on how to handle this new tool.

Generation Z and AI: the HR challenge

While Covid has disrupted the world of work, the strongest impact for the highly digitised Generation Z has been in moral and ethical terms. Contrary to what might be thought, Gen Z is concerned about the efforts made to retain them. Money is not their main preoccupation; they are more interested in benefits, the working environment, the employer brand, commitment and corporate culture.
Nonetheless, studies show that the initial reasons for young people leaving their jobs are to be found in their immediate work environment, like a problem with their boss or team. "There's something very egocentric about it. If there's a good atmosphere among colleagues in the unit where someone is working, it doesn't matter if there are ethical or management problems at macro level with the company; day-to-day comfort is satisfied." Reasons for leaving still include the prospect of career advancement. "Then we're talking about salary, responsibility and, above all, knowledge and learning," says Amine Ezzerouali.

Business: AI as a growth accelerator

Understanding artificial intelligence techniques and applying them to the digital transformation of businesses is crucial.

The 3Ds - Democratisation, Diversification and Dynamics - mark the advent of generative AI: "Democratisation means that, overnight, these technologies can be used by people with no prior knowledge," says Francis Wolinsk.

Diversification takes the tool's infinite range of uses into account. All company functions are impacted. "The tool is extremely dynamic and can be learned incredibly quickly," he says.

Responsible use and practices: the importance of a framework

"The majority of young people are aware that AI is a work tool, and a vector for transforming companies - but I also think these young people are seeking something concrete," says Stéphane Meunier, Talent Acquisition Director, ONEPOINT. "Though everyone is talking about and doing AI now, we're still in the early stages as regards support in companies.
"Like everyone else, we woke up in 2022 with a jolt: no-one had seen it coming. We appointed an "AI Chief" to set up an approach within our company. The most important thing is to be your own laboratory and create the AI tool that works best for your organisation."

For Guillaume Rouzaud, Human Resources Director, ADEO, the importance of setting up a framework is paramount: "We worked with the ethics, cybersecurity and legal teams to create a framework and guidelines through a charter. The pitfalls of generative AI lie in its ease of use and unlimited use cases. Today, it's important to lay down in-house rules, redefine how AI is to be used in the various Business Units, and explain what should not be done at any cost. For example, we can't put sensitive data into an external generative AI interface, because we know that an OpenAI will then train its new algorithms on the basis of this user data. This may seem obvious, but many people don't realise it. We need to offer a safe environment so that there's no impact for the customer or the company."

AI and HR: Man or machine?

The use of AI in HR departments means that much larger volumes of data can be processed. However, a highly ethical approach is required when the machine makes decisions about human value.

"We were approached by a startup that offered us a tool to screen CVs exponentially," says Stéphane Meunier. "In a large-scale recruitment process, for 1,000 positions, we could receive around 10,000 resumés filtered using AI. But we stopped because we were unable to explain the algorithm and its biases. In terms of image, the consequences were too serious. Yes, we could have assigned our teams to other tasks, but it was too risky to entrust that one to AI."
AI should assist in developing work values, but not replace or surpass humans.

AI: a human memory and training tool

Today, to prevent the loss of knowledge linked to a generational transition of talent, AI offers various opportunities to ensure and facilitate its transmission.

"Why not plug a generative AI into the knowledge and processes I've formalised? Once the knowledge is captured, anyone can access it. I'm not saying that we'll create a virtual clone of my colleague before he retires, but an AI can explain how I manage my department, the main principles, what to look out for, and so on. Today, the first tests have proved highly convincing. A virtual assistant is always on hand to provide the necessary answers," says Guillaume Rouzaud.

This approach makes it possible to create an encyclopedia of processes that can be referred to at any time. However, various questions arise regarding its use: should there be several chatbots per theme or profession? Should there be just one chatbot? Should everyone have access?

Once again, AI must not replace people, but assist them. It must adapt to the needs of the company, rather than the company seeking to exploit all its capabilities at the risk of losing itself.

You can read the full report on the Talent 2024 barometer by clicking below.

*(Studies conducted on 1,200 people: two-thirds SKEMA students, and the remaining third students with similar backgrounds from a business school.)