In last years, right -wing leaders in politics and technology like Donald Trump and Elon Musk attacked the value of Dei (Diversity, equity and inclusion). But for Elise Smith, CEO and co-founder of the Praxis Labs technological startup, learning to navigate cultural differences is simply a good deal, especially for ambitious multinational companies with employees and customers around the world. “No matter what you think of the term, this work will continue, because fundamentally, it drives Best commercial results“Said Smith, 34.” Fortune companies 500 try to understand: how to serve our customers and our customers, knowing that there is a ton of diversity within them? How can we collect our teams to do their best? »»
Praxis creates AI and VR interactive tools which allow business leaders to practice and improve their communication in the workplace and better interact with employees. These tools are something like new generation iterations of business diversity training videos, with many modules specially designed to help managers give comments to sub-performances, to navigate division subjects like biases And to ask better questions. Users interact with a generative AI chatbot which simulates high pressure work scenarios, such as performance reviews or interpersonal disagreements. The chatbot then provides personalized advice on how we could better manage situations, in particular with regard to cultural sensitivities. Although it is currently confined to a specific set of scenarios, Smith hopes that the chatbot will receive an upgrade this year which allows it to be “always on” and to freely give advice on work concerns.
“You cannot play basketball by simply watching a video in theory on the passage and the shooting – you must do it,” says Smith. “Learning these critical human skills is very similar. You must do it in a simulated experiential way which will really translate into your capacity when it matters. »»
Smith cut the teeth of the Watson group of IBM in the early 2010s, in strategies how to apply AI technology to feed this early education supercomputer. Inspired by this experience and watch it Parents sail on systems Who were not installed for them, she founded Praxis alongside Heather Shen in 2018. (Shen was appointed for Forbes 30 under 30 years old List this year.) Praxis has now raised $ 23 million in venture capital and has fifteen people, and its list of customers includes Uber, Amazon and Accenture. The objective, says Smith, is to help these companies improve commitment, employee retention and global trade relations.
Smith believes that in a world in which AI tools are more and more powerful to perform mechanical tasks, general skills such as clear communication, emotional intelligence and the ability to defuse conflicts are more important than ever. “We have to connect to a real and personal level, beyond the transactional confidence that I think we find so often in the workplaces,” she said. “We are so divided, and yet we have to learn to work with people who think differently from us and believe in different things than us, to get results that, we hope, we better.”