I came across an HR study, shared on May 29, on human resource organizations’ use (or non-use) of artificial intelligence. I suppose at this point in the larger AI revolution, I shouldn’t be surprised, but two findings from the study are disturbing:

• 80 percent of HR departments have neglected to provide employees with any AI training to date.
• Less than four in 10 (35 percent) HR organizations have been involved in discussions with senior leadership about the adoption of AI technologies.

So, who’s to blame? Well, although this study focused on HR, there is likely equal blame to go around. We could easily point a finger at the executive suite for not seeing the “six-mile-wide AI asteroid” rapidly hurtling toward their organizations. HR could also be held responsible for not proactively analyzing evolving mission/business environments and their impacts on the workforce. And the list goes on…

As the founder and chief executive officer of FedLearn, I have noticed several “scary” AI trends at play in both U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community agencies and the government contractors supporting their missions:

• Chief data and AI officers are leading AI/data literacy or more technical training efforts—not HR. Why? My educated guess is HR leaders’ lack of trust in, and comprehension of, the requirements.
• In DoD and IC HR organizations, a general lack of understanding exists about AI and the impact of the technology to enable workforce reskilling and upskilling. Additionally, there is little to no desire to learn about advanced AI capabilities in support of HR or training initiatives. One real-world example: a DoD/IC organization recently decided to replace its learning management system. I inquired about the AI capabilities of the chosen platform. Zero!
• In government contractors, the situation may be even worse. While the DoD and the IC are implementing AI solutions in their respective mission sets and providing some training, many private contractors have not yet experienced that “aha!” moment that with a more data/AI-literate workforce, their chances of winning new opportunities or recompetes will likely rise by a percent at a minimum.

The widespread impacts of AI on DoD and IC missions and the workforces utilizing these technology solutions will continue to evolve and expand with time. Executive and HR leaders can decide not to look up, but that won’t stop the AI asteroid zooming at their organizations.

It’s your choice to be proactive or reactive. Don’t end up like the dinosaurs.

Dr. J. Keith Dunbar
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
FedLearn