Ah, the wacky world of tech and touchy-feely stuff, huh? You know, it never ceases to amaze me how we’re now living in this wild realm where AI and human emotions are shaking hands—a truly bizarre yet intriguing dance. So here we go, talking about Workhuman, a tech company rooted in the lovely land of Ireland, pulling in a whopping $1.2 billion just by lighting up the path to feeling appreciated. Imagine that, getting rich off of thank you notes! Eric Mosley, CEO dude, is all about this primal urge we have to say “Hey, you matter!” and then nod back with a “Thanks, mate!”
Yet it’s hilarious, isn’t it? The irony? Turning to AI to help us express gratitude, like, really? Are we so lost we’ve outsourced saying thanks to bots? Well, Workhuman just slapped AI into its “social recognition” playground—where, surprise, you can throw a “Good job, dude!” and some gifts people’s way. Now there’s this pencil icon, you click it, and voila! A virtual sidekick jumps in, armed with suggestions on how to flavor up your message. Charming, right?
They called it “Human Intelligence,” probably to sprinkle some irony on top. It’s like, the AI spruces up clunky text, flags any awkward phrasing, and reads the emotional tea leaves of your office tribe. But let’s pause—does bedazzling our office chatter with AI truly make us feel more… seen?
The heartfelt bit isn’t lost on Workhuman. Adam Basilio, this product strategy honcho, insists they want these recognitions to spill out of human hearts, not robot hearts. Must be “emotional,” he insists, earning his paycheck by dressing up words in feel-good marketing mumbo-jumbo.
And get this, the competition tries to sell that “human touch” too, even as new-gen software rolls out. Like, Benifex is shouting from the rooftops that AI will tailor perks and iron out HR wrinkles. Bonusly, another player, says workplace warm-fuzzies are the secret sauce when machines gobble up repetitive gigs.
Now, here’s the kicker: Workhuman ropes in big wigs like BP, Cisco, LinkedIn (big kahunas, am I right?), who cash in praise for some tangible goodies. With new AI moves, the idea is to pinpoint just how much that pat on the back is worth, and keep it kosher within the firm’s budget, obviously.
Managers might dig it because AI dishes out some nifty insights—like pinpointing MVPs or potential mentors. Kerry Dryburgh, BP’s people person, swears by Workhuman as a “game-changer” for non-stop feedback flows—looking to dive headfirst into that AI pool.
Skeptics, naturally, hang back, eyes squinted. Mosley thinks they’ll get on board once they see the juicy data rolling in. Human Intelligence lets you jaw with “the world’s first recognition-language whatchamacallit” about mining feedback for buried treasure. Yeah, no big deal, just changing the world, one acknowledgment at a time.
But, hey, not everyone’s toasting the AI takeover. Bruce Daisley, a voice of reason, says be wary of scrubbing sincerity from these thank-yous. He’s right—robots have their place, but we’re treading wobbly ground when tech gets tangled in genuine, heartfelt exchanges.
Amusing tidbit here: AI can fake empathy, too. A Harvard study saw AI teams boosting good vibes like nobody’s biz! Tech can apparently do the social dance, believe it or not.
In Workhuman’s lab, they whipped up this home-brewed AI model using a bazillion office messages, layered on open-source models. This means their AI spits out freakishly spot-on manager insights. The smarter the AI gets, the cleverer our workplace banter should become—or so they say.
Still, cringeworthy, right? The language of bureaucracy oozes out sometimes, with lines like “Wow! You’re a superstar!” or “Nailed it, buddy!” being regular offenders.
Anyway, whether we go “Yay!” or “Yikes!” depends on us, the folks steering the AI ship. As Daisley puts it, some outfits will find this tech a total gem, while for others, it’s just another layer in the beaurofoopex.
