{"id":16721,"date":"2026-04-07T09:57:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T02:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aware.co.th\/it-jobs\/?p=16721"},"modified":"2026-04-07T09:57:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T02:57:39","slug":"human-value-in-the-age-of-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aware.co.th\/it-jobs\/human-value-in-the-age-of-ai\/","title":{"rendered":"Human Value in the Age of AI: If AI is being taught compassion, what about us?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Human Value in the Age of AI: If AI is being taught compassion, what about us?<\/h1>\n

In a world where every organization talks about the \u201cintelligence of AI,\u201d have you noticed that what truly differentiates organizations is the \u201chumanity\u201d of their people? The unsettling question is this: while we are trying to teach AI to better understand and empathize with humans, why are many organizations increasingly treating their own people like machines?<\/h3>\n

In executive meeting rooms around the world, the loudest words are \u201cProductivity,\u201d \u201cEfficiency,\u201d \u201cOutput,\u201d and \u201cROI.\u201d People are counted as headcount, performance is measured by KPIs, and human value is summarized in quarterly reports. When organizations view people solely through the lens of efficiency, individuals begin to be treated as resources to be used, replaced, and discarded when they are no longer considered worthwhile.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford University, revealed in his research and book \u201cDying for a Paycheck\u201d that toxic work environments\u2014where people are treated merely as tools\u2014are linked to over 120,000 deaths per year in the United States alone, and nearly $200 billion in additional healthcare costs. Pfeffer argues that many organizations are slowly harming their own people through inhumane management practices.<\/p>\n

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What is even more thought-provoking is this: in an era where we are developing AI to understand human emotions, respond with empathy, and be designed with compassion, why do many leaders view their own employees with less empathy than the AI we are building?<\/h3>\n

Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, which employs over 12,000 people, shared in his book \u201cEverybody Matters\u201d<\/a> that he once managed people based only on numbers and performance. Until one day, he realized that when employees go home, they are parents, children, and loved ones. How he treated them at work directly affected the lives of those they love. Chapman then began to \u201csee people as people\u201d and shifted his management approach from \u201cusing people\u201d to \u201ccaring for people.\u201d He prioritized employee well-being over short-term profits. The result was not only happier employees, but also sustainable business growth, increased innovation, and a significant reduction in turnover. Chapman concluded, \u201cWe are not in business to make money; we make money to build a better business and take better care of our people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking back at AI, an interesting point is that in developing AI, designers must ensure that it \u201cunderstands human context.\u201d It is not enough for AI to provide correct answers\u2014it must respond appropriately to situations and human emotions. Companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are designing AI systems that can recognize when people need empathy, when they need encouragement, and when it is better to listen than to speak. If AI, which has no life, is being designed to be more human, how can human leaders forget their own humanity?<\/p>\n

Kim Scott, author of \u201cRadical Candor\u201d<\/a> and former executive at Google, proposes that great leaders must \u201cCare Personally\u201d\u2014genuinely care about people, not just their performance. She explains that many organizations misunderstand professionalism as separating emotions from work. In reality, people do their best work when they feel seen as human beings, not just numbers. When leaders sincerely ask, \u201cHow are you?\u201d instead of only \u201cIs the work done?\u201d, when they acknowledge that people are vulnerable, have off days, and need support\u2014not just criticism\u2014the result is trust, engagement, and commitment that no bonus or incentive can buy.<\/p>\n

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To create these outcomes in an organization, every leader should pause and ask themselves:<\/h2>\n