Armen Berjikly, CTO @ BetterUp, On Using AI to Unlock Human Potential
Aug 5, 2024
49:08
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Armen Berjikly, a serial entrepreneur and CTO at BetterUp, discusses the pivotal role of AI in enhancing human potential. He shares insights from his Stanford research on the emotional interplay between technology and human connection. Armen delves into his companies, exploring how they improved employee experience. He emphasizes the importance of AI recognizing emotions to better support workplace dynamics and personal growth, advocating for a future where technology democratizes coaching and enhances well-being.
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Quick takeaways
Integrating emotional intelligence into technology can transform human-machine interactions, enhancing user engagement and overall workplace efficiency.
The workforce is divided into 'Pilots' who embrace technology and 'Passengers' who feel overwhelmed, impacting productivity and engagement dramatically.
BetterUp aims to leverage AI to improve employee well-being by automating mundane tasks and promoting meaningful interactions between managers and their teams.
Deep dives
The Role of Emotions in Technology
Technology should serve to enhance human capabilities, yet often people find themselves working for technology instead of it working for them. By integrating an awareness of human emotions into technology, machines can become better aligned with user needs, improving overall efficiency. Acknowledging the emotions of users allows algorithms to be more responsive and helpful, creating a more fulfilling interaction between humans and machines. This could equip technology to better understand and cater to the signals and preferences of its users.
Survey Insights on AI's Impact on Employment
Recent survey results reveal a mix of worry and optimism among American workers regarding AI's role in their careers and education. A significant portion expresses concerns about job security, with 35% fearing job elimination due to AI advancements. Conversely, many believe that AI could lead to increased productivity and automation of routine tasks. Additionally, a strong majority of respondents think AI skills should be integrated into K-12 education to prepare students for a tech-centric future.
Creating Empathy Through Emotional Technology
The past years have seen a generational shift towards technology that emphasizes emotional connections, a theme that has been a consistent thread throughout the guest's career. By studying language and its emotional underpinnings, technologies are being developed that can better decode unstructured data to understand users' feelings and experiences. This understanding is critical as it fosters human-like interactions in technology, ultimately enhancing user engagement. The idea is to enable machines to interpret and respond to human emotions effectively, promoting deeper connections.
Harnessing AI for Workplace Transformation
BetterUp aims to leverage AI to improve employee well-being, focusing on the intersection of emotional intelligence and technology. The platform integrates various signals, such as performance data and employee feedback, to drive transformational coaching interventions. By automating mundane tasks traditionally managed by humans, technology allows managers to invest time in more meaningful interactions, like providing recognition and feedback. This shift emphasizes the importance of managerial roles in fostering an environment where employees are engaged and feel valued.
The Future of Work: Pilots vs. Passengers
Emerging research identifies two distinct groups within the workforce: 'Pilots' who feel empowered and optimistic towards technology, and 'Passengers' who feel overwhelmed and powerless. This division significantly impacts productivity and engagement, with Pilots showing four times more productivity compared to Passengers. To bridge this gap, organizations must focus on training and coaching to foster a sense of agency among all employees. By understanding these dynamics in the workplace, companies can take actionable steps to transform their workforce into one that thrives on technological advancements.
Armen Berjikly is a serial entrepreneur and the recently appointed CTO at BetterUp, a human transformation platform founded in 2013 that employs over 3,000 coaches to help individuals achieve greater clarity, purpose, and passion through expert guidance. Before joining BetterUp, Armen co-founded Motive, which was later acquired by BetterUp, and Kenjoya, acquired by Ultimate Software. He holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a master's degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University.
In this conversation, we discuss:
The evolution of technology and its impact on the workplace over the past two decades.
How Armen's early research at Stanford with professors Clifford Nass and Byron Reeves influenced his career.
The development of Experience Project and its role in connecting people through shared experiences and emotions.
The journey of Armen's companies, Kenjoya and Motive, and their contributions to understanding and improving employee experiences.
Armen's insights on integrating AI with human interaction to enhance emotional intelligence in technology.
The unique approach BetterUp takes in combining coaching, technology, and research to drive human transformation and organizational success.