“The new voice (and video) mode is the best compute interface I’ve ever used,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman yesterday at the company’s launch of its latest AI model, GPT-4o (“omni”). “It feels like AI from the movies; and it’s still a bit surprising to me that it’s real. Getting to human-level response times and expressiveness turns out to be a big change.”

OpenAI’s latest model, GPT-4o, seamlessly blends voice, video, and text to redefine the AI interaction experience, striving for a natural and intuitive engagement. Beyond mere text processing, this model comprehends and reacts to both audio and visual inputs, ushering in a more human-like interaction. Moreover, OpenAI’s efforts in enhancing responsiveness are evident as GPT-4o boasts reaction times in milliseconds, mirroring the pace of a genuine conversation.

There’s a ton to unpack in Altman’s excitement, but there’s a key word in there that means so much for the world of talent technology: expressiveness. And it will take artificial intelligence to the next level in regards to how businesses find, engage, source, manage, and retain talent.

Generative AI models are actively helping companies create more personalized and engaging experiences for candidates, from crafting compelling job descriptions to generating tailored outreach messages. Moreover, generative AI enables the automation of repetitive tasks, streamlining resume screening, candidate sourcing, and interview scheduling, allowing recruiters to focus on building meaningful connections and fostering diversity and inclusion. This transformative technology not only enhances efficiency but also empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions, ultimately driving better outcomes in talent acquisition and hiring, and, of course, how work is ultimately addressed and done.

But back to the concept of “expressiveness.” Talent acquisition, hiring, and recruitment are, at the end of the day, human-led ventures that require a “people touch” that has always historically been missing from even the best of the best technology platforms.

Humanity has always been paramount in the world of talent. Despite the advancements in the workforce solutions industry, there has been a lingering absence of genuine human connection that can be displayed. However, with the advent of expressiveness facilitated by AI, these platforms can now replicate and even enhance the nuances of human interaction, fostering deeper engagement and rapport between employers and candidates.

Yes, the so-called “war for talent” is still very real and AI sits at the very center of how modern businesses can overcome it. Here’s how the Future of Work Exchange believes OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT model will impact the talent technology landscape:

• Expressiveness = better candidate communications = enhanced candidate journeys. Chatbots have been a prime extension of talent solutions over the past several years, but it’s only been more effective as natural language processing (NLP) has improved and progressed as of late. Most chatbots have limited understanding of context, inability to recognize subtle nuances in language, and reliance on pre-programmed responses, which can result in robotic and impersonal interactions. Better expressiveness in candidate-facing bots, especially if they are traversing through an automated interview, can vastly improve just exactly how workers feel about prospective employers. And, most critically, a more emotive interaction means that candidates (and internal enterprise users) can interrupt AI’s “thinking” in its responses and pivot to new outcomes, much like in real, human-led conversations. The convergence of human-esque emotion, personified responses, and ChatGPT 4o’s fluid adaptability heralds a paradigm shift in candidate interactions.
• VMS, ATS, HRIS, talent marketplaces, direct sourcing, digital staffing, and other workforce platforms will improve their engagement functionality. The “omni” edition of ChatGPT is already available to developers via OpenAI’s APIs, meaning that many talent technology solutions that are already leveraging ChatGPT will be able to harness the power of the new model’s more humanlike (and incredibly responsive) technology. The eventual integration will enhance the user experience for these platforms by providing more intuitive and conversational interfaces for employees and candidates (and suppliers) alike. Its NLP capabilities will streamline tasks such as querying candidate and talent data, scheduling interviews, and accessing total talent intelligence, boosting efficiency in how these essential platforms transform workforce management.
• Recruiters will benefit incredibly from ChatGPT 4o. Opptly’s Rebecca Valladares put it perfectly at one of the Exchange’s executive roundtable events last year in Boston, stating that “recruiters that utilize artificial intelligence will replace those that do not.” Recruiters have been able to leverage generative AI to craft personalized and engaging outreach messages and job descriptions, ensuring candidates feel valued and understood from initial contact. The latest 4o model ups the ante by empowering recruiters with technology that provides more natural and engaging interactions throughout the recruitment process. ChatGPT 4o can also better (and more accurately) interpret candidates’ queries and responses, thus fostering seamless communication and minimizing potential misunderstandings.
• This signals a new era of talent-oriented technology that prioritizes talent-based concepts, such as skills-based hiring. Beyond advanced resume-parsing and job description automation, the new ChatGPT 4o model, when integrated with today’s workforce solutions, can not only better “understand” exactly that the enterprise needs from a skills-based perspective, but also allow users (i.e., hiring managers, HR leaders, talent acquisition execs, recruiters, extended workforce programs. etc.) to truly execute on those directives.

Outside of the above implications within the talent technology spectrum, the next era of generative AI (and ChatGPT 4o, in particular) AI also plays a key role in employee retention. AI can analyze patterns of employee behavior and engagement, thus predicting employee turnover. By identifying who is likely to leave, companies can proactively address concerns and improve employee retention. AI can also tailor the work experience for individual employees. By analyzing data on preferences, learning styles, and career aspirations, AI can suggest personalized development plans, training programs, and career pathways to make employees feel valued and invested in their roles.

More importantly, however, is the infusion of more “advanced” humanity and expressiveness into generative AI that not only elevates the recruitment and candidate experiences, but also ensures that businesses can cultivate lasting relationships with top talent, driving sustained success in the ever-evolving landscape of talent management.