Why CDOs should care about ML and the human connection – CDOTrends

As an enormous decade comes to an end, digital officers are now looking to the future. The last ten years saw a boom in technology that created a digital shift in almost every industry. At no point, however, has this transformation been enough to replace human connection. Which begs the question: will it ever?

The short answer is no. However, digital officers must continually strategize to bridge the gap between machine learning and human connectivity.

The rise of ML and AI in the workplace

We are entering an era that is dominated by artificial intelligence technologies, enabling workers to not only work remotely but collaborate remotely too. Being able to work from home is hardly new, but the ability to collaborate and engage with colleagues as though you are face-to-face is the result of evolving visual and audio technology.

So why should the digital officer care? Because this technology links the growing need for remote working, collaboration, and unwavering employee engagement.

Empathy in business

In the age of digital transformation, businesses need to prioritize empathy because working with people still requires a human element.

When it comes to creating an empathetic workplace, visibility is essential. This means visibility among employees, managers, and business directors, regardless of location.

The reason for this is simple: visibility translates to availability; the more visible, the more accessible someone is.

Accessibility and availability work together to drive an empathetic workplace environment. This is critical when considering how to engage and retain employees, particularly as digital officers look to transform business operations.

While digital transformation may allow a business to automate some tasks, it can also create a more connected environment that fosters team collaboration. Digital transformation no longer translates to robots taking over human roles and responsibilities; rather, it's an opportunity to fuse machine learning with human capabilities.

Empathy and AI

In the discussion of empathy and AI, employee experience must remain high on the agenda. Technology and AI are already being used when empathically engaging with customers, but what about employee engagement? Just as a digital officer would recommend a business interact with its customers online, business directors must implement the appropriate technology to communicate with employees regardless of location or time zone.

Keeping pace

Voice assistant technology has grown in popularity and will continue to advance via the mass amounts of data being created. Again, empathy will be integral to the success and uptake of this technology. Similarly, video and audio technology will also excel, and businesses will need to keep pace with rapid adoption.

The role of the digital officer will be to assist businesses in driving their own digital transformation strategy, utilizing the latest technology to meet evolving business objectives both internally and externally and, ultimately, positively impact the bottom line.

Holger Reisinger, senior vice president for Large Enterprise at Jabra, wrote this article.The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CDOTrends.Photo credit: iStockphoto/wildpixel

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Why CDOs should care about ML and the human connection - CDOTrends