Edge off the sharper questions, making them easier for leaders to answer, according to Google employees who spoke to Business Insider.
Here are the key points from the information provided:
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Context: Google has implemented a new AI-based system called Ask to handle questions from employees before company-wide meetings, aiming to alleviate some of the burden on leadership.
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Previous System: Before the introduction of Ask, employees used an internal tool called Dory to ask questions and vote on which ones they wanted addressed at the monthly TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday) staff meetings. Top-voted questions were typically answered by Google executives, including CEO Sundar Pichai.
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Changes: Since April, the process has changed, and some employees have complained that the new AI system only addresses simple questions. The Ask system summarizes multiple questions into one, and employees can only vote on the AI-summarized versions. This means that leaders are responding to the summarized questions rather than the original ones.
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Criticism: Employees have criticized the AI system for softening the questions, making them less direct and easier for leadership to handle. One employee suggested that the company is trying to avoid tough questions and keep them from gaining wider attention.
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Company Response: A Google spokesperson stated that the Ask tool is not meant to soften questions but to summarize them to avoid repetition and improve efficiency. The spokesperson also mentioned that executives still directly answer some tough questions and that the tool is still in a trial phase, with consideration for employee feedback.
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Impact on Meetings: The introduction of the Ask system has made the TGIF meetings less engaging for some employees, who now find them less meaningful and less likely to attend or ask questions.
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Purpose of the AI System: Google’s spokesperson claimed that the AI system is designed to help employees more effectively address a wider range of issues. The spokesperson also noted that before Ask was introduced, fewer than 1% of employees asked questions at TGIF meetings, but that number has doubled since the system was implemented.
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Continued Issues: Despite the changes, one employee noted that leadership has been avoiding questions or providing vague answers at TGIF meetings for several years.
This information highlights the tension between maintaining transparency and efficiency in corporate communication, as well as the challenges of using AI to facilitate such processes.
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