3Sixty Insights' Geoff Webb on Changing Perceptions of AI

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[00:00:30] Welcome to People Tech, the podcast of WorkforceAi.News, a Mark Feffer.

[00:00:47] Today I'm chatting with Jeff Webb, like me, he's a contributing analyst with 360 insights.

[00:00:54] Our topic, perceptions around AI, are they changing?

[00:00:57] If they are, is it just part of the normal growth cycle?

[00:01:02] We're going to talk about where AI is and reality and customer perceptions on this edition of People Tech.

[00:01:11] Hey Jeff, good to see you.

[00:01:12] Two, two, contributing analyst on one screen.

[00:01:15] I think, no, it's like the thing with Coca Cola.

[00:01:19] When they wouldn't let the two guys that have the secret formula travel on the same wavelength,

[00:01:24] they both like, you know, fly that with us Mark, if we get struck down,

[00:01:28] who knows what would happen?

[00:01:30] The Western civilization is already teetering on the edge.

[00:01:33] I think that might be just enough to push it over.

[00:01:35] We'll see.

[00:01:37] So let me ask you this to start.

[00:01:42] I'm feeling it change about AI in HR technology.

[00:01:48] It feels like the message isn't as cool as they thought it was.

[00:01:54] And so people aren't racing to read everything about AI.

[00:02:00] They're staying informed, but all the heat seems to have gone.

[00:02:05] So I mean, what do you think?

[00:02:08] I want to take a break real quick just to let you know about a new show.

[00:02:12] We've just added to the network up next at work hosted by Jean and Kate Akeel of the Devin Group.

[00:02:20] And Tastic show, if you're looking for something that pushes the norm, pushes the boundaries,

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[00:02:38] So I think it's a natural function of where we are in the cycle of sort of, you know,

[00:02:51] of new technologies.

[00:02:54] I think it's not only a sort of a natural place to be,

[00:02:56] it's a very healthy place for us to be right now.

[00:02:59] So you know what I see happening is we're still walking about AI.

[00:03:06] So AI inherently is valuable.

[00:03:10] It's like it's advertised like a feature.

[00:03:11] It's like, you know, it's like we're selling soap with like 10% more cleaning power or something, right?

[00:03:16] It's like, now comes with AI.

[00:03:19] And that is a huge indicator of the immaturity of where we are as a set of technologies,

[00:03:26] as vendors, as the market, as consumers of that technology.

[00:03:30] Because ultimately AI is an enabling technology that allows you to do something, right?

[00:03:36] You do something better, faster, cheaper, easier, more fully, more completely, more in a rich way because of AI.

[00:03:43] The AI itself is not the value, right?

[00:03:47] The AI is the path to the value.

[00:03:49] And so when you see us talking about AI in and of itself as an atomic kind of concept,

[00:03:56] oh, it has an AI engine built in.

[00:03:58] Well, that's nice.

[00:04:01] So what?

[00:04:02] It's the AI isn't the value.

[00:04:04] So what we've seen is I think, you know, the rush to adoption of AI as part of messaging,

[00:04:11] marketing organizations, and immediately come under pressure.

[00:04:14] You guarantee every tech vendor on the planet, their CMO gets a phone call from the CEO or the CFO,

[00:04:21] you know, on a Sunday evening, it says, hey, what's our AI story, right?

[00:04:24] At some point, and that's how it's happening at some point.

[00:04:28] And obviously that's, and then somewhere that's the question, it gets, that's just the wrong question.

[00:04:32] Like it's just a wrong question.

[00:04:34] The AI isn't the story, right?

[00:04:36] It's the value of the AI delivers that is the story, and that's what we've focused on.

[00:04:40] Now, you look at what's going on in the world of AI technology.

[00:04:46] AI technology has tended to or the AI departments, so they have tended to have to trail behind other parts of the business in order to get access to very, very new technologies because

[00:04:59] investment often usually flows at the same direction as revenue generation.

[00:05:03] And so as a result, they chart teams of often struggling with older technology.

[00:05:08] It's hard to find investment.

[00:05:11] It's more difficult than to get the attention during the budgetary process that, you know, the questions are around,

[00:05:16] but what's he going to do for me?

[00:05:17] How do I get what's the bottom line impact of what you're asking for?

[00:05:22] So as a result, they tended to sort of lag a little bit behind.

[00:05:25] Well, now that's actually working in their favor because what's happening is those HR organizations,

[00:05:31] because they haven't been pushed to a dot technology and new technology for the stake of it.

[00:05:37] They're in a position to ask better questions.

[00:05:40] And the questions they should be asking are things like, yeah, that's, you know, I hear you're talking about AI.

[00:05:45] I don't know that you or anybody else in this conversation has the same definition of what that really means.

[00:05:52] Be it doesn't matter if it comes with AI unless I can demonstrate what that value delivers.

[00:05:58] Like, I can see what value is being delivered by that.

[00:06:01] And see even then it won't matter if I can't convince my own stakeholders that the value it delivers is sufficiently compelling to require them to divert investment from something else.

[00:06:14] So, so I think you're right.

[00:06:16] I think what we're seeing is a, is a slow acceptance on the sort of the vendor side of maybe I shouldn't just talk about AI.

[00:06:25] Maybe I should talk of the capacity to push back in a much more mature way and go,

[00:06:30] so, well, you know, so, well.

[00:06:33] Jeff, thank you.

[00:06:35] It's always fun talking with you and I'll talk with you again soon, I'm sure.

[00:06:40] Yeah, no worries. Thank you very much.

[00:06:53] My guest today has been Jeff Webb contributing analysts with 360 insights.

[00:06:58] And this has been PeopleTech, the podcast of WorkforceAI.News.

[00:07:02] We're also apparted for Work to find podcast network, find them at www.wrkdefind.com

[00:07:12] And to keep up with AI technology in HR, subscribe to WorkforceAI today,

[00:07:18] where the most trusted source of news in the HR Tech industry,

[00:07:22] find us at www.workforceAI.News, a Mark Feffat.