The Bigtech AI Threat to HR

Are your people training someone else’s AI? While you’re only getting access to cloud services, tech giants are building billion-dollar AI models with your organization’s collective intelligence. 

The Value of Your People Data

The future of HR is data-driven. By 2032, the data monetization market will hit $12.62 billion (Fortune Business Insights). AI powered by People data can revolutionize workforce planning, talent management, and performance. However, responsible use and control are key. Let’s explore how to maximize your data’s potential while safeguarding your organization’s interests.

The Normalized Data Grab: Have We Stopped Worrying About Our Data?

Remember the early days of cloud adoption? Back in 2013, concerns about data security and sovereignty were top of mind for every CXO. Rigorous security audits and legal scrutiny were the norm as organizations grappled with the implications of entrusting their data to third-party providers.

Today, we have a more nuanced understanding of the cloud. We recognize that data exchange is often a two-way street, with both organizations and providers benefiting from the value created. 

However, the rise of AI introduces a new dimension to this equation. While cloud computing primarily focuses on data storage and access, AI leverages data to generate insights and build intelligent systems that can reshape entire industries.

HR’s role goes beyond providing data; it’s about actively leveraging AI to enhance decision-making, improve employee experiences, and drive strategic initiatives. However, by relying on third parties, individual organizations have limited influence over how their data is used to shape these AI systems and the insights they generate. This raises concerns about potential biases, misaligned priorities, and the loss of control over critical knowledge assets, ultimately hindering HR’s ability to effectively leverage AI for strategic advantage.

Therefore, in the age of AI, data is not just an asset to be protected but a source of competitive advantage. This raises questions:

• Are you willing to hand over your most valuable asset just for a few shiny features and a “user-friendly” interface?
• How can we leverage the power of AI while ensuring control over valuable data is retained?
• What would be the fair share in this creation of AI for you as a data provider?
• How can HR Shape the Future of Work with AI?

The Point of No Return

As AI becomes more sophisticated, the stakes increase. Today’s decisions will shape the future of work and determine who controls the valuable insights derived from workforce data.

Consider the potential implications of training someone else’s models:

• Irreversible Knowledge Transfer: Once your data trains someone else’s models, those insights are effectively out of your hands, even if you switch vendors.
• Loss of Competitive Advantage: The unique patterns and practices that differentiate your organization can become commoditized features in someone else’s AI platform.
• Vendor Dependency: As your operations become intertwined with external AI systems, switching providers becomes increasingly difficult, potentially locking you into a cycle of dependency.

The more advanced these AI models become, the more reliant you become on the companies that control them. You could find yourself paying for access to insights derived from your own workforce.

This will become a point of no return. The choices made today will determine whether organizations retain control over their valuable data assets or become increasingly dependent on external AI providers. The time to act is now.

Taking Control of Your Data Destiny

Just as organizations in 2013 were right to question data sovereignty, forward-thinking CHROs today are rediscovering the strategic value of their people data. However, solely relying on giving away data to third-party AI solutions raises concerns about control, competitive advantage, long-term dependency and value distribution. 

There’s a better way.

Imagine a future where organizations collaborate to develop AI capabilities while retaining ownership of their data and insights. A future where the power of collective intelligence is harnessed without sacrificing control over intellectual property.

That’s the vision behind Tapir.

Tapir empowers leading people organizations to:

• Maintain Control: Keep full control of your people data and own the insights derived from it.
• Collaborate Securely: Participate in collective Data Products without exposing your sensitive data.
• Build Shared AI: Contribute to the development of advanced AI models that benefit the entire network.
• Become AI Leader: Drive AI adoption within your organization and shape the future of HR through People Data Collaboration.

The question isn’t whether AI will transform HR – it’s whether we will shape that transformation or submit to it.