On May 23, 2024, HackerRank hosted the AI Skills & Tech Talent Summit at the Royal Society in London. This event masterfully blended history and innovation, marking a significant milestone in understanding the transformative power of Gen AI in recruiting, upskilling, internal mobility, skills strategy and all things developer experience

Attendees had the unique opportunity to engage with thought leaders from all over Europe and UK in a venue renowned for its rich scientific heritage. The agenda was packed with captivating keynotes, innovative product showcases, and invaluable networking opportunities. From insightful discussions on integrating AI into skill development to networking with top professionals in Technology, Talent, and HR roles, the summit offered a wealth of knowledge and connections.

Hung Lee, the curator of Recruiting Brainfood and the event’s emcee, kept the energy high and the conversations engaging. Participants connected with leading professionals, gained insights from top innovators in tech and talent, and discovered how HackerRank is shaping the future of technical talent management in the era of GenAI. The summit was an enriching experience, filled with engaging conversations and exploration of the latest trends and strategies in tech talent acquisition and development.

The event kicked off with an introduction by AI-Saac Newton, the AI reincarnation of Sir Isaac Newton. AI Sack humorously welcomed attendees and highlighted the profound impact of Newton’s discoveries on modern technology, setting the stage for an inspiring event focused on AI and tech talent.

Keynote by Juan Herrera, President of Field Operations, HackerRank

Juan Herrera from HackerRank delivered the keynote, sharing insights from HackerRank’s 2024 Developer Skills Report. He highlighted five key trends: the stabilizing job market, the importance of learning opportunities for developers, the disconnect between college education and job readiness, the gap in leaders’ understanding of team skills, and the rapid adoption of AI by developers. Juan emphasized that the future of tech work is a collaborative effort between humans and AI, where developers orchestrate AI tools to enhance their work.

Juan also discussed the need for companies to build dedicated AI and machine learning teams to decide on the appropriate AI tools and models for their businesses. He pointed out that despite economic downturns, roles in data science, machine learning, and cybersecurity have remained stable due to their critical importance.

To address these challenges, Juan outlined HackerRank’s approach, which includes setting up a skills strategy, showcasing tech brands through hackathons, optimizing the hiring process with effective assessments, and continuously upskilling employees. He introduced HackerRank’s Developer Skills Platform, which integrates AI to enhance the recruitment and talent development process while ensuring a positive developer experience.

AI-first Approaches by Alla Pavlova, Recruitment Partner at Riot Games

Following Juan’s keynote, Alla Pavlova from Riot Games took the stage. Described as ‘a leading thinker and doer in tech recruitment’ by Hung Lee, Alla shared her innovative approaches to finding and hiring tech talent, particularly in data science, data engineering, and machine learning.

Alla showcased AI tools she uses to streamline her hiring process. She demonstrated how quickly Gen AI can generate outlines and presentations, emphasizing the efficiency and time-saving benefits these tools offer. Alla highlighted that by leveraging AI, she can save up to 40 hours a week, which allows her to focus on more strategic tasks.

Alla also discussed the practical applications of AI in her daily work. She uses various AI tools for note-taking, summarizing videos, and tracking activities. These tools not only enhance productivity but also ensure a more structured and disciplined approach to her recruitment process. She encouraged the audience to integrate AI tools into their workflows to stay current with technological advancements and improve efficiency.

In her interactive session, Alla engaged the audience and revealed that many companies still have reservations about data security and privacy. She underscored the importance of understanding the broader spectrum of AI tools available and encouraged recruiters and talent professionals to stay informed about technological trends to remain competitive.

Alla concluded with practical advice for recruiters: dedicating time each week for learning and experimenting with new AI tools.

Expert Panel Discussion on the Adoption of Gen AI

The panel discussion at the AI Skills & Tech Talent Summit, moderated by Ben Stollard of HackerRank, delved into the future of tech talent. The panelists included Andy Young, Managing Director at Accenture, Libby Cook, Program Head of WiseWomenCode at Wise, and Alla Pavlova, Recruitment and Sourcing partner at Riot Games.

The discussion highlighted AI’s transformative potential while emphasizing the importance of human-centric approaches in recruitment. It provided valuable insights and practical strategies for navigating the evolving tech talent landscape in the era of AI.

Andy Young shared his journey from a psychology major to a tech delivery leader at Accenture, highlighting how AI is transforming workflows. He discussed AI’s ability to handle unstructured data and enhance productivity, allowing professionals to focus on strategic tasks. He provided an example of how AI in underwriting significantly reduced processing time, improving efficiency and client relationships.

Libby Cook also discussed Wise’s tech talent programs, particularly the Wise Women Code initiative. This program addresses the disparity in women taking technical tests by offering workshops, coding sessions, and mentorship. She emphasized the importance of human interaction in nurturing talent and ensuring inclusivity in AI adoption. Libby also noted the significant increase in applications due to AI’s ease of use and the need for robust skills assessments.

Alla Pavlova emphasized the need for recruiters to be tech-savvy and leverage AI tools to enhance recruitment. She shared her journey from a law PhD to a career in human resources, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and using AI for data visualization and ATS improvements. Alla stressed that recruiters should enjoy their work and seek ways to improve processes through technology.

HackerRank Experience Lab: Introducing SkillUp and Engage

The Experience Lab session at the AI Skills & Tech Talent Summit, led by Adil Chinoy from HackerRank, showcased how Gen AI is seamlessly integrated into HackerRank’s offerings, specifically focusing on two key products: Engage and SkillUp.

Adil highlighted how Engage is a tool designed to simplify the setup of hackathons and tech events. Traditionally, organizing such events required significant resources from marketing, development, and talent acquisition teams. Engage automates much of this process using AI, from creating event microsites to setting up challenges and managing marketing campaigns. With just a few prompts, users can customize their events, targeting specific demographics and capturing essential data. Adil highlighted the efficiency and ease of use, sharing a personal anecdote about setting up a fully branded event demo in just minutes.

The second part of the session focused on SkillUp, HackerRank’s platform for assessing and developing internal talent. Adil demonstrated how employees can set up their skill profiles, receive personalized learning paths, and earn certifications. The platform includes an AI assistant to help employees learn and solve problems in real-time, enhancing their development experience. Managers can access a comprehensive dashboard to track the skills and certifications of their teams, enabling better resource allocation and career planning.

The AI Skills & Tech Talent Summit proved to be an inspiring and informative event, offering a deep dive into the current and future landscape of AI in tech talent management. With practical insights, innovative strategies, and a focus on continuous learning, the summit set a new benchmark for understanding and leveraging AI in recruitment and upskilling.

Conclusion

The AI Skills & Tech Talent Summit hosted by HackerRank at the Royal Society in London was a remarkable blend of history and cutting-edge innovation. With Hung Lee as the dynamic emcee, the event successfully brought together thought leaders from across Europe and UK to explore the transformative power of AI in recruitment and upskilling. The summit offered attendees a wealth of knowledge through captivating keynotes, innovative product showcases, and invaluable networking opportunities.

Participants left the event with a deeper understanding of how AI is reshaping the landscape of tech talent management. They gained insights into the latest trends and strategies, discovered practical tools and approaches for enhancing their recruitment processes, and connected with leading professionals in the fields of Technology, Talent, and HR roles.

The event concluded with AI-friendly discussions over champagne, wine, and gourmet, providing a perfect setting for further networking and reflection on the day’s insights. Guests also enjoyed the delightful experience of traditional cream tea and the exciting displays of molecular gastronomy, adding a unique flavor to the event. The event concluded with AI-friendly discussions over champagne, wine, and cocktails, providing a perfect setting for further networking and reflection on the day’s insights.

The post From Insightful Keynotes to AI-Driven Solutions: A Recap of the 2024 AI Skills & Tech Talent Summit appeared first on HackerRank Blog.

It’s a wrap on HackerRank AI Day 2024!

AI Day has left us with a treasure trove of insights, inspirations, and excitement. Hosted by HackerRank, AI Day celebrates the boundless possibilities of artificial intelligence and its transformative impact on technology, software development, and society at large. This year, the event was nothing short of spectacular, drawing thousands of attendees from around the globe who shared a common enthusiasm for AI’s potential to redefine our future.

Hosted by HackerRank’s AI host and companion, Ada, this year’s AI day aimed to demystify AI, its role in coding and future innovation, and offered insights for the next wave of technical evolution. We also spotlighted the incredible strides we’ve made in AI!

Vivek’s Keynote: A Glimpse into AI’s Future

Vivek Ravisankar, Co-founder and CEO of HackerRank, kicked off the event with a compelling keynote underscoring AI’s role in shaping the future of coding assessments and technical hiring. His vision for a world where AI seamlessly integrates with human ingenuity to solve complex problems sets the tone for the day. He emphasizes the importance of harnessing AI to enhance human capabilities, rather than replace them, painting a future where technology and humanity work hand in hand.

Vivek’s emphasis on the exponential growth in data availability is starkly demonstrated by comparing images from the Pope’s ceremony in 2002 versus 2010, showing the popularity of smartphones and, by extension, the surge in data generation. In terms of algorithms, the development from Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), and finally to Transformers, showcases the rapid advancements in AI’s ability to process and interpret vast datasets. Furthermore, the growth in computing power, evidenced by a 1000x increase in petaflops over the last five years, highlights the technological leaps enabling AI’s capabilities.

Contrary to the expected progression of AI displacing jobs from mechanical to cognitive and finally to creative roles, the reality is unfolding in reverse. AI’s foray into creative domains, exemplified by its participation in serious film competitions, challenges preconceived notions about the limits of AI’s capabilities.

The developer’s role is rapidly transforming, as Vivek describes. Developers are now seen as orchestrators in an AI-enhanced orchestra, where AI agents take on roles traditionally held by musicians, symbolizing a shift towards strategic oversight. This change touches every part of a developer’s lifecycle and the five key job tasks (JTBDs) our customers encounter, highlighting the evolving, integral role of developers in the AI-driven tech landscape.

In summary, Vivek’s keynote substantiates how AI’s impact on the developer ecosystem is both profound and expansive, heralding a future where developers leverage AI not as a replacement, but as a powerful ally in crafting the next generation of software solutions.

AI Product Showcase

One of the highlights of AI Day was the AI showcase, where HackerRank product experts unveiled two groundbreaking products: HackerRank SkillUp and HackerRank Engage. 

SkillUp is designed to revolutionize the way developers learn and hone their skills, offering personalized learning paths powered by AI. SkillUp addresses the key phases beyond hiring, such as upskilling, mobilizing, and retaining talent, making it an essential tool for continuous professional development. SkillUp provides a comprehensive solution to understand the skill sets within their developer organization accurately, strategize on bridging skill gaps, mobilize talent to adapt to the rapidly evolving AI landscape (becoming GenAI ready), and enhance developer retention and engagement through targeted upskilling. To know more about SkillUp, visit here.

Engage aims to transform the recruitment landscape by enabling companies to connect with top tech talent through AI-driven matchmaking. It is designed to amplify companies’ brand presence as a tech company. With its AI-driven technology, Engage enables organizations to set up, customize, and host virtual real-world hackathons, thus positioning them at the forefront of tech innovation and helping them build a robust talent pipeline. To know more about Engage, visit here.

Together, these platforms signify HackerRank’s dedication to empowering both developers and employers in the AI era. 

Insights from Industry Titans

The event featured an impressive lineup of speakers, each bringing a unique perspective on AI’s role in their respective fields.

• Josh Bersin: The Intersection of AI and HR

Josh Bersin, a renowned global industry analyst, shared his insights on the transformative impact of AI across various aspects of human resources and talent acquisition during HackerRank AI Day. Reflecting on his personal journey and professional experiences, Bersin likened his excitement about the advent of AI to the revolutionary introduction of personal computers. He outlined the myriad ways in which AI has already begun to streamline his workflow, from summarizing vast quantities of content to conducting swift data analyses, ultimately enhancing his overall productivity. This utilization of AI in his daily tasks highlights its potential to redefine efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace.

Delving deeper into organizational learning and development, Bersin introduced the concept of Capability Academies. He championed these as essential, comprehensive environments that foster continuous learning, extending well beyond the scope of traditional training methods. By incorporating a diverse array of learning resources and experiences, Capability Academies are poised to significantly bolster professional growth and competency development across industries.

Bersin also provided a forward-looking analysis of how AI is set to reshape the landscape of various professional roles, some of the examples are below:

• Recruiters are envisioned to transition into talent advisors, shifting their focus from sourcing to the strategic facets of talent acquisition.
• Recruiting Coordinators might find their roles evolving into data analysts or other capacities as AI takes on the brunt of coordination tasks.
• L&D Managers are anticipated to adopt roles that underscore technology strategy, performance consultation, and media strategy, reflecting the changing dynamics of workplace learning.
• Hiring Managers are expected to continue emphasizing team composition, culture, and performance, even as other aspects of their roles evolve.
• Developers are likely to remain at the forefront of exciting projects, with AI reshaping development approaches but not reducing the demand for their expertise.
• CEOs are advised to maintain their tech-savviness and curiosity, as their roles increasingly encompass a broader spectrum of responsibilities beyond technology, including people management, strategy formulation, and navigating market dynamics.

Josh Bersin’s insights not only highlight AI’s current applications but also its potential to fundamentally alter professional roles and processes. By embracing AI, companies can make talent acquisition more efficient and equitable, foster a culture of continuous learning, and ensure that their workforce is well-equipped to meet the challenges of the future.

• Beyang Liu: AI’s Role in Developer Tools

Beyang Liu, Co-founder of Sourcegraph, explored the integration of AI in developer tools, emphasizing how these advancements are making coding more intuitive and efficient. His insights into the future of software development underscored the importance of AI in fostering innovation and creativity among developers.

Beyang shared insights into the current state of AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), noting that what often appears as logical reasoning in AI outputs is actually sophisticated pattern matching. This revelation has sparked discussions on the nature of human reasoning and knowledge work.

Looking forward, Vivek and Beyang envisaged a shift in the developer’s role towards more system design and architecture, facilitated by AI removing lower-level coding toil. This evolution could lead to software engineering focusing more on creative problem-solving and high-level system planning.

• Vinod Khosla: The Bold Future of AI

Vinod Khosla, a renowned venture capitalist, shared his visionary outlook on AI’s potential to address global challenges. His thought-provoking session encouraged attendees to think big and embrace the risks associated with pioneering AI solutions, setting the stage for an inspiring exploration of the technological landscape.

As Khosla delved into the intricacies of innovation, he underscored the paramount importance of adaptability and sustainable growth in navigating the ever-evolving realm of technology. The venture capitalist painted a vivid picture of a future shaped by AI, where personalized experiences and automated solutions would redefine traditional industries. Sectors ranging from education and healthcare to transportation, entertainment, and venture capital would experience profound transformations, driven by the revolutionary potential of AI.

In a world where the stakes are high and the possibilities limitless, Khosla’s visionary insights not only showcased the vast opportunities embedded in technological advancements but also emphasized the crucial need for a thoughtful examination of their societal impact. The session left attendees inspired, armed with a fresh perspective on the dynamic intersection of AI and global challenges.

A Day to Remember

AI Day was not just about the talks and showcases; it was a celebration of community, innovation, and the shared belief in AI’s power to create a better future. With thosands of attendees, the event was a testament to the growing interest and optimism surrounding AI. The day was filled with meaningful conversations, networking opportunities, and an undeniable sense of excitement for what the future holds.

As we reflect on this year’s AI Day, it’s clear that the journey of AI is only just beginning. The discussions, innovations, and connections forged during the event will undoubtedly shape the trajectory of AI development in the years to come. HackerRank’s AI Day has once again proven to be a beacon of inspiration, illuminating the path toward a future where AI and human potential converge to unlock unimaginable possibilities.

To delve deeper into the discussions and innovations showcased at AI Day, access the event page here.

The post Innovation, Insights, and AI: Key Takeaways from HackerRank AI Day appeared first on HackerRank Blog.

Game, set, Ada lights up the stage!

The curtain fell on the much-anticipated 2024 HackerRank Innovator Awards and AI Summit this past 15 February, marking a landmark event in the heart of India’s tech capital, Bengaluru. Hosted at the luxurious Conrad Bengaluru, the event saw an impressive gathering of over 400 industry leaders from the realms of technology and talent acquisition.

In a dazzling showcase of innovation and brilliance, the summit was hosted by HackerRank’s AI Assistant, Ada, who captivated the audience with her insights and wit. This year’s edition not only celebrated the achievements of the brightest minds in talent and technology innovation but also set a new benchmark for the integration of artificial intelligence.

Ada opened the awards to an insightful keynote by Vivek Ravishankar, CEO and Co-founder of HackerRank, who took the stage to deliver a compelling keynote address titled “Shaping Tomorrow’s Tech.”

In his presentation, Vivek embarked on a profound exploration of the evolutionary journey of the developer’s role over the decades, offering a unique perspective on the technological advancements that have transformed the landscape. He meticulously charted the course of these changes, highlighting how each significant leap in technology has ushered in new directions for innovation and fundamentally altered the way we approach problem-solving in the digital realm.

Vivek’s keynote was not just a reflection on the past; it was a forward-looking analysis that connected the dots between historical advancements and the future possibilities they pave the way for. Through his insights, attendees gained a deeper understanding of the critical role developers play in shaping the future of technology, emphasizing the importance of innovation in driving the tech community towards new frontiers.

A Spotlight on Innovation

A standout feature of the 2024 HackerRank Innovator Awards and AI Summit was the eagerly anticipated Innovation Display. Orchestrated by HackerRank’s distinguished team of product visionaries, this segment was led by the trio of Abhilash NL, Afzal Ashraf, and Vijaya Rao, who are at the forefront of HackerRank’s product innovation.

This engaging presentation offered attendees an exclusive deep dive into the remarkable strides HackerRank has achieved over the past year. The team has pioneered product advancements with a laser focus on three key areas: cultivating a strong tech brand identity, revolutionizing next-generation hiring practices, and advanced upskilling methods to ensure future readiness.

Each initiative was showcased with an eye on how these innovations are setting new standards in the tech industry, driving forward the mission to match talent with opportunity in the digital age. This session not only highlighted HackerRank’s commitment to innovation but also provided a glimpse into the future of tech recruitment and professional development.

Hari Karunanidhi, Co-founder and CTO of HackerRank, led a compelling talk aimed at debunking the pervasive myth that AI represents a dystopian future. He emphasized the importance of reshaping our understanding and approach towards AI, highlighting its potential for positive impact and innovation in technology.

The HackerRank Innovator Awards Ceremony

As the summit progressed to its centerpiece, Aadil Bandukwala took center stage to host the esteemed HackerRank Innovator Awards. This annual celebration is dedicated to acknowledging the exceptional talent leaders who, through their creativity and unwavering commitment, have crafted unparalleled talent experiences, driving remarkable outcomes for their organizations. It recognizes those who have not only set new benchmarks in talent development and acquisition but also those who have leveraged their expertise to foster a culture of innovation within their teams and organizations.

By highlighting the achievements of these outstanding individuals and teams, the HackerRank Innovator Awards substantiate the profound impact of strategic talent leadership in shaping the future of technology and business.

This year, however, the team changed the award categories to reflect the changing priorities in these times!

Setting up Skills Strategy: this award recognizes excellence in building and implementing a robust skills-based strategy for talent assessment and development

Embracing AI: this is to recognize and felicitate the company’s forward-thinking adoption of AI in technical hiring and for prioritizing hiring AI first skills and talent rubric

Showcasing Your Tech Brand: this award recognizes exceptional work in building a tech talent brand that attracts top developers and competes with big tech for world-class talent providing a window into real-world challenges that showcase their innovative and dynamic work environment

Optimizing the hiring process: this award is presented for exceptional use of HackerRank to streamline tech hiring. This distinction acknowledges the ability to save time, increase quality of hires, and enhance the efficiency of hiring workflow through a data-driven, candidate-centric approach

Mobilize your Internal talent: this award is presented for outstanding commitment to fostering a dynamic internally tech talent ecosystem, celebrating the use of comprehensive skills data to fuel strategic talent development internally

Winner of HackerRank Innovator Awards 2024

Category: Setting up Skills Strategy

Gold Award: Meesho

Platinum Award: Air India

Category: Embracing AI

Gold Award: Juniper

Platinum Award: Atlassian

Category: Showcasing your Tech Brand

Gold Award: ServiceNow

Platinum Award: Equinix

Category: Optimizing the Hiring Process

Gold Award: Cisco

Platinum Award: NVIDIA

Category: Internal Mobility

Gold Award: Cognizant

Platinum Award: TCS

A Memorable Conclusion

The HackerRank Innovator Awards and AI Summit drew to a resounding close with an exquisite networking session, accompanied by an array of delightful cuisine and refreshments. The atmosphere was charged with enthusiasm, as talent leaders from across the industry expressed their excitement and optimism for ongoing collaborations with HackerRank. This sentiment underscored the event’s success in fostering meaningful connections among the brightest minds in the tech and talent spheres.

This gathering was more than just a ceremonial conclusion; it served as a vivid demonstration of HackerRank’s unwavering commitment to pioneering innovations within the tech talent landscape. The event highlighted the company’s efforts to enhance candidate experiences, hire better, and set new industry standards.

A standout feature of the networking finale was the array of interactive booths arranged by the HackerRank team, designed to engage, entertain, and enlighten the attendees. Among these, the AI Avatar booth emerged as a sensational highlight, captivating the leaders with its innovative offering. Attendees were thrilled at the opportunity to have their personal avatars created by advanced AI technology, a fun and futuristic addition that sparked conversations and laughter.

The enthusiasm also spilled to social media, pre and post the event and here are a few snapshots that followed:

See you all at the next edition of the HackerRank Innovator Awards!

The post Celebrating Excellence: Highlights from the HackerRank Innovator Awards 2024 appeared first on HackerRank Blog.

In a world that’s swiftly embracing digital transformation, understanding the intertwined roles of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) is more crucial than ever. Recently, HackerRank spoke with Intuit’s Atticus Tysen to understand the pivotal role of AI in ensuring financial security and prosperity. 

Serving as the Chief Information Security Officer at Intuit, Atticus’ journey is an embodiment of evolution. Atticus is a trailblazer in the world of information security and technology. His journey from a software engineer working on collaboration and digital signature projects to the Vice President of Engineering at Aveo, Inc., and then transitioning to Intuit, where he has served in various leadership roles, is nothing short of inspiring.

At Intuit, Atticus has been at the vanguard of innovation, leading product development efforts for the company’s small business group and building a robust process to protect the company’s intellectual property. His current role as the Chief Information Security Officer sees him at the helm of information security, fraud prevention, and enterprise information technology, ensuring the safeguarding of information and enhancing technological advancements at Intuit.

Harishankaran K, co-founder and CTO of HackerRank, and Aadil Bandukwala, Senior Director of Marketing at HackerRank, hosted the discussion with Atticus.

Cybersecurity: Striking a Balance

While the AI boom promises transformation, the cost implications remain a concern. Atticus stressed that cybersecurity tools are investments. The rapid technological advancements mean that solutions can become outdated quickly. The emphasis should be on collaboration with visionary entities and prioritizing desired outcomes before contemplating costs.

Navigating the realm of AI in cybersecurity is like exploring unknown territories. The potential solutions AI offers come with the challenges of refining and perfecting them. The end goal is consistent: enhancing user experience without risking data integrity and security.

Hari highlighted the evolving intersection of AI and cybersecurity. With adversarial models rapidly evolving, firms must maintain a blend of basic defenses and creative solutions. Not every obstacle requires an AI solution; the emphasis should be on discerning where AI provides an evident advantage.

Generative AI: Unraveling the New Era

A highlight of the session was the exploration of Generative AI’s potential, especially in amplifying user experiences and crafting advanced financial solutions. Intuit, with its overarching mission of powering global prosperity, is at the forefront of integrating Generative AI into its core operations.

With offerings like Intuit Assist, the company blends AI-driven assistance with human touchpoints. This hybrid approach ensures users receive tailor-made solutions, resonating with their unique needs.

Atticus presented a vivid picture of the spectrum of AI’s capabilities. It’s not just about automating routine tasks. The future beckons a scenario where AI offers bespoke advice on intricate topics, whether it’s evaluating a business’s performance trajectory or strategizing for long-term financial goals.

Imagine a world where you could consult your AI tool about optimizing your child’s college fund or assessing the fiscal health of your startup. This is not science fiction but a tangible future, and companies like Intuit are pioneering this transition.

The Genesis of Intuit Assist: A Dive into the Conception of Generative AI

Generative AI, touted as a game-changer in the technological landscape, has garnered significant attention recently. The excitement surrounding its potential has spurred companies to dig deep, explore, and ultimately realize its capabilities. One such company that has stepped up to harness this power is Intuit, with its new AI product Intuit Assist

The Pillars of Intuit Assist’s AI Evolution 

Every innovation comes with its set of challenges. Building Intuit Assist was no exception. Atticus highlighted the multiple stages involved, each with its own intricacies:

1. Foundation with Gen OS: Recognizing the need for a safe, secure, and streamlined approach to AI, Intuit designed the Generative Operating System (Gen OS). It consists of:

• • Gen Studio: The sandbox for developers, where AI solutions are composed, experimented with, and developed.
  • Gen Runtime: The component responsible for executing the models and efficiently routing queries to the most appropriate large language models.
  • Gen UX: Ensuring a consistent and user-friendly interface, it streamlines the interaction between users and the AI solutions.

2. Strategic Development: Unlike the conventional development approach where stages are linear, Intuit had to be agile, addressing multiple facets simultaneously. The urgency to bring the product to market coupled with the evolving nature of AI demanded parallel development.
3. Holistic Approach: A unique element of Intuit’s strategy was its comprehensive approach. Rather than limiting the use of AI to a few experts, the goal was to democratize its access, enabling all developers within the organization to tap into its power. However, this democratization came with a mandate: every interaction needed to be safe and responsible.

Enhancing the User Experience

The goal of any product is to resonate with its end users. Intuit Assist aimed not only to assist with queries but also to proactively offer financial insights. The generative AI could note trends, such as a rise in quarterly expenses, and offer relevant advice. Such interactions have the potential to revolutionize the way users approach their financial decisions.

What’s Next With AI and Cybersecurity 

The session underscored the challenges that lay ahead. AI, as transformative as it is, is still in its nascent stages. There’s a long road ahead, filled with trials, errors, and innovations.

The journey of integrating AI into cybersecurity, and vice-versa, is akin to treading uncharted waters. While AI provides a plethora of solutions, the road to perfection will require continuous refinement. The end goal remains unaltered: ensuring a seamless customer experience without compromising on data protection and security.

In an era where data reigns supreme, its sanctity is paramount. The onus is on us to ensure that its protection isn’t an afterthought but a priority. As the curtain fell on the livestream, the sentiment echoed was one of hope and optimism. A future where AI doesn’t merely supplement cybersecurity but actively reshapes it is not far off. The wheels of innovation are already in motion. 

Building Momentum in Tech Development: Inside Intuit’s ‘War Room’ Strategy 

One of the main concerns is how developers could ensure a seamless experience for those integrating their tech stack. The feedback loop is essential, especially in understanding whether the User Experience (UX) aligns with the developer’s vision. 

Intuit, a global financial technology platform, offers an enlightening example. They understood the importance of moving fast and ensuring efficiency. Early on, they initiated a “war room” model—a daily gathering of tech heads to discuss and troubleshoot issues in real-time. This became a hub for discussing roadblocks—be it security reviews, performance, or missing features. Today, this has evolved into a bi-weekly meet, but the underlying objective remains—to tackle issues head-on and maintain the momentum.

HackerRank’s Influence in Identifying and Assessing the Technical Prowess of Candidates

Atticus discussed that one of the most significant impacts of platforms like HackerRank is their ability to mitigate biases. For a company like Intuit, it’s essential to recruit the best talent globally, irrespective of their background, as long as they’re the best fit for the role.

He discussed how platforms like HackerRank play a vital role by providing a standardized set of assessments and problems for aspirants to tackle. Such a systematic approach ensures that the evaluation of skills is done in an unbiased fashion. Drawing a parallel with the music industry, there are instances where musicians are placed behind screens during auditions. This ensures judgments are made based on the quality of music, not appearances. Similarly, HackerRank places the developer behind a virtual screen, enabling the assessment of actual work and output.

Using unbiased assessments allows Intuit to truly identify the best candidates without their inherent biases affecting the selection. Another advantage is the breadth and speed with which they can access a wide range of talent, allowing for quick identification of top talent.

Intuit also cultivates relationships with universities and collaborates with organizations like HackerRank. This helps them grasp the emerging trends in the industry. Moreover, they pay keen attention to fresh graduates or “freshers” since these individuals bring the latest knowledge from academia. Intuit’s robust intern program globally ensures that they continually learn and adapt to the newest tech trends.

Another way Intuit remains updated is by observing how platforms like HackerRank evolve, noting new problems introduced for developers to solve, and garnering feedback from the developer community. This feedback loop provides invaluable insights to Intuit as they shape their recruitment strategies.

Building an Agile Culture

Intuit takes pride in its agile culture. They have systems in place to unblock issues quickly. There’s an escalation protocol—if a challenge isn’t resolved within a specific timeframe, it’s elevated to higher authority. This goes up to the CTO level, ensuring problems don’t linger for long. This agile model not only enhances productivity but also boosts developers’ morale.

Atticus also emphasized that developers are vocal when facing challenges. The company encourages this transparency and sees it as their responsibility to ensure a roadblock-free environment.

The Future for Early Talent Freshers in Cybersecurity

For those just entering the field, it’s an exciting time. The key skills to focus on include continuous learning and the ability to adapt to rapid changes. Being inquisitive and staying updated on technology trends can make a marked difference. 

Hari highlighted the difference between theoretical knowledge and real-world applications, especially in cybersecurity. Freshers should seek opportunities to rotate through different areas of cybersecurity to get a holistic understanding.

In Conclusion

The session underscored the symbiotic relationship between AI and cybersecurity. With threats becoming more complex, the tools to combat them also need to evolve. The discussion reiterated that while AI offers numerous solutions, the journey is ongoing. We must continue to refine our strategies, always keeping the end customer’s experience at the forefront.

To watch the recording of the webinar and learn more about Cybersecurity and AI, visit here.

The post The Role of AI in Cybersecurity: A Deep Dive into the Future With Intuit’s Atticus Tysen appeared first on HackerRank Blog.

What are the HackerRank Innovator Awards?

HackerRank Innovator awards recognize the best-in-class talent leaders who, with their ingenuity and dedication to create exceptional talent experience, drove exceptional results for their respective organizations. Furthermore, the event serves as a testament to the belief that collaborative partnerships with talent leaders enable transformative growth and innovation.

The 2023 awards was the ultimate tech and talent fiesta; leaders from over 100 organizations like Amazon, Prudential, HSBC, Flipkart, Cisco, EY, KPMG, TCS, and more, came together to swap stories and dive into some seriously interesting panel discussions. The previous edition also witnessed the participation of distinguished luminaries from Salesforce, Upstox, Swiggy, Atlassian, RazorPay, Dell, Oracle, Akamai, and numerous other organizations!

The awards’ selection criteria is as follows:

1. Overview of the technology used and how it helped in enhancing candidate experience 
2. Innovation in using the HackerRank platform 
3. Impact of the strategies on talent metrics
4. Originality and relevance of it in the talent field 

On the basis of the selection criteria detailed, HackerRank awards people for the following categories:

1. Excellence in Talent Acquisition – Recognizes exceptional talent acquisition teams who have revolutionized the technical hiring experience, leading to enhanced satisfaction among both candidates and hiring teams
2. Emerging Talent Accelerator – Recognizes the outstanding teams for their achievements in talent attraction and acquisition strategies
3. Innovators in Lateral Tech Hiring – Recognizes trailblazers for their outstanding commitment to hiring lateral talent and delivering exceptional candidate experiences at scale
4. The Developers Choice Award – Recognizes the teams who created exceptional interview and assessment experiences for developers
5. The Early Careers Transformation Award – Recognizes remarkable dedication in recruiting university and early-stage talent on a significant scale while ensuring an exceptional candidate experience

Besides these, HackerRank also welcomes leaders and organizations in “Innovators Hall of Fame” whose efforts in harnessing the power of HackerRank to effectively help engage, connect, and nurture talent in a candidate-friendly manner.

Winners of HackerRank Innovator Awards 2023

This year, the awards started with an address by Juan Herrera, President of Global Field Operations at HackerRank, where he dove into how the winning organizations are measuring skills over pedigree. He detailed how there’s an increasing demand for skills strategies and tech brand enhancement, and how HackerRank is bridging that gap. 

This was followed by a keynote speech by Janardhan Santhanam, VP and Global Head of Talent Development at TCS. The session explored the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and talent empowerment in today’s dynamic landscape. He also discussed the growing importance of AI in everyday work, and how each AI needs trust and inclusive design. 

Following that, an insightful panel discussion titled “The Future of Work: AI and Human Collaboration”  took place. The esteemed panelists included Ramkumar Narayan, Vice President of Technology and Managing Director at VMWare; Kailash Nadh, Chief Technology Officer at Zerodha; and Harishankaran K, Chief Technology Officer at HackerRank. The discussion delved into the intricate relationship between AI tools and human engagement in bolstering productivity and streamlining coding tasks. Emphasis was placed on the indispensable role of human input despite the increasing role of AI.

The panelists also explored the significance of reskilling individuals to effectively utilize AI tools, and highlighted the importance of fostering meaningful dialogues. The conversation touched upon the practices of larger corporations adopting AI-powered assessments, juxtaposed with smaller entities that adhere to conventional interview methods.

Post the keynote session, the award ceremony commenced, the winners of which are:

Excellence in Talent Acquisition

Platinum Winner:  IBM

Gold Winner – Akamai 

Emerging Talent Accelerator

Platinum Winner: Cashfree

Gold Winner: Toshiba

Innovators in Lateral Tech Hiring

Platinum Winner: Goldman Sachs

Gold Winner: Cisco

The Developers’ Choice Award

Platinum Winner: Amazon

Gold Winner: NVIDIA

The Early Careers Transformation Award

Platinum Winner: Atlassian

Gold Winner: Adobe

Gold Winner: Akamai

Innovators Hall of Fame

Platinum Winner: TCS

Gold Winner: HCL

How HackerRank Is Helping the Talent Acquisition community

HackerRank, just like our customers, is driven to create exceptional, inclusive, and safe candidate experiences. Our products enable talent leaders to attract, evaluate, hire, and upskill technical talent from all over the world, and here’s what some of our customers said about us at the event:

“Thank you HackerRank team for enabling us to hire the best talent. I think this is where quality meets quantity.”

Arshad Khan, HR Head, IBM

“Thank you HackerRank for being a great partner, you’ve helped us go beyond the traditional universities too – we’ve scaled our university hiring from 0 to 200 and we’ve also grown Atlassian from 0 to 2000 in the last 5 years with HackerRank”

Arun Viswanathan, Head Of Engineering – IT Operations R&D, Atlassian 

“It’s been an amazing experience working with HackerRank, it’s been 5 years now, we used to have a hiring ratio of 20:1 when we started, but now it’s 5:1. We also worked on our recent hackathon, thank you for driving the podcast and making our leaders feel very comfortable”

Vartika Shrivastava, Talent Acquisition India Lead – Engineering, Cisco

The HackerRank Innovator Awards 2023 was a remarkable testament to the power of unity within the tech and talent community. As the event unfolded, it became evident that this gathering was about fostering a vibrant exchange of ideas, experiences, aspirations, and recognizing excellence.

Furthermore, the tech and talent leaders enjoyed great conversations, posed for pictures, and had a great time.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the event and the posts that followed:

The post Recognizing Excellence: A Closer Look at the HackerRank Innovator Awards 2023 appeared first on HackerRank Blog.

In our most recent webinar, How HackerRank is Leading AI-Powered Hiring, Principal Product Manager Ankit Arya and Senior Director of Product Marketing Danielle Bechtel gave customers a first look at new and upcoming products that let companies bring AI into their hiring process—on their own terms.

While there’s no substitute for watching the webinar on demand, here’s a taste of what went down:

3 developments in HackerRank AI

1 – AI-Powered Plagiarism Detection is live

HackerRank’s industry-first AI-powered plagiarism detection system is live and available to all HackerRank customers. By analyzing dozens of unique signals, our new plagiarism detection model detects suspicious activity with far greater reliability and fewer false positives than industry standard methods, like MOSS code similarity. 

2 – AI is about to make hiring teams’ lives easier

Several upcoming platform features promise to make hiring teams’ lives a bit easier. For example, AI will soon be able to review candidate code quality across several metrics such as efficiency and modularity, and provide a rationale for its analysis. AI will also be able to help members of the interview team provide more accurate interview summaries faster, using transcripts to build a first draft that can be refined before submission. 

3 – AI is coming to the assessment experience

HackerRank customers are fairly divided on AI’s role in assessments. Some want—or need—to keep AI at arm’s length. Others want to use it, and want to see how their candidates use it. To allow companies to embrace AI on their own terms, we’re building AI assistance into the assessment experience. Furthermore, the AI assistance will be highly customizable, from limited AI that can onboard a candidate to a codebase, to fully open AI that can engage in pair programming and code generation. 

At the end of the discussion, we held a live Q&A to chat through questions from the audience. Here are five of the top questions we heard—and how we’re thinking about them in response. 

Top 5 questions from hiring teams

The following responses are from the perspective of Ankit Arya, our principal product manager. His answers have been edited for length and clarity. 

1 – Is ChatGPT ready for primetime code complexity?

Base ChatGPT, the GPT-3.5 Turbo model, is not as good for programming. But GPT-4, Bard, and Anthropic’s models are getting to a place where they’re real coding helpers as you’re building software. 

Teams still need human creativity and developers who understand code, but AI can help take care of some of the more tedious tasks. For example, if you wrote a piece of a function and you want it to do error handling, you can have ChatGPT manage that for you. Of course you still need to review it, because you’re ultimately responsible for deploying it in production. But it can be a great assistant and enhance productivity.

2 – Can you talk more about plagiarism detection and 93% reliability? How do you check false positives? How do you even get that information? And has any other third party validated these claims?

The system has been in limited availability and we’ve run thousands of tests to make sure the system is performing at the level that we’re claiming. We’re also looking at feedback  from customers who’ve been using this product, and that feedback’s been really amazing. So that’s really where we are coming from when we define that internal benchmark. 

We’ve also been audited by an external third party, because it does come under the purview of the NYC law. We’ve gone through the audit process, so the system is ready for you to use. 

3 – HackerRank’s plagiarism detection system will get better over time because it’s built on AI. Can you talk more about that?

These systems are built with training data. Imagine when you’re a kid. How do you learn things? Someone shows you an image of an apple and tells you it’s an apple. Teachers give you a lot of examples and a label, and you start building associations, so you can recognize an apple.

This is how AI models learn, as well. Only they’re not as good at it as humans. We just need to see a thing one or two times, and we’ve got it. I could show you any apple, and you’ll identify it with very high accuracy. AI systems need a lot more data. So in this case, they would need a lot more images to make an accurate, reliable prediction. 

When we say the system gets better over time, this is what we mean. The more customers use it, the more feedback they provide, the more training data the system can ingest, further increasing its accuracy.

4 – Lots of people are interested in the interview assistant. What does that look like in the long term? Is this something you see integrating into an ATS?

Yes. Over the long term, we want to get to where the interview assistant does most of the work, and where we’re delivering it to you in your ATS. We don’t want AI making decisions, so imagine this more like AI doing 80-90% of the work for you, compiling the summary that you’d have to spend an hour doing. Now you would be spending 10 minutes reviewing it, making any changes, and then submitting it. 

But we absolutely imagine the system becoming way more integrated into the workflow than it is now, depending on what ATS you’re using.

5 – How does AI in advanced plagiarism handle copy/paste? Are there any plans to disable that functionality altogether?

No, there are no plans to disable copy/paste. I don’t think that’s something we’d ever want to do. To bring a little more clarity, you can’t copy questions. So when you talk about copy/paste, it’s really in the editor window. We provide a proctoring feature that’s essentially copy/paste tracking. And just because someone pasted, doesn’t mean they plagiarized. It’s just one of the signals the model considers. 

For example, someone might be solving a program question, but forgot how to insert a key in a Python dictionary. Simple, basic things just become signals into the model. What we’re really looking for are large patterns of cheating behavior. Is the full solution being pasted in? Or large chunks of code? So whether copy/paste triggers a plagiarism flag depends on the context of how much was copy/pasted and what was copy/pasted. 

Get the full story

These questions only scratch the surface. Be sure to watch the full webinar to take in the full Q&A session and get more context around HackerRank’s new and upcoming AI products.

And if you want to be among the first to gain access to our future AI releases, be sure to sign up for the HackerRank AI waitlist at hackerrank.com/ai.

The post All Things AI: Here’s What You Missed From the HackerRank AI Webinar appeared first on HackerRank Blog.

What does ChatGPT mean for tech hiring? How well can conversational AI code? And will ChatGPT cause the end of civilization as we know it?

Those pressing questions were on everyone’s mind during HackerRank’s recent live AMA with our machine learning team.

After demystifying ChatGPT, HackerRank machine learning experts Ankit Arya and Mohamed Eldawy answered attendees’ questions on all things ChatGPT and conversational AI. Here are their seven most pressing questions about AI, answered.

But first — a note on ChatGPT

On a basic level, ChatGPT is an example of a large language model. A large language model is a computer system trained on huge data sets and built with a high number of parameters. This extends the system’s text capabilities beyond traditional AI and enables it to respond to prompts with minimal or no training data.

The goal of ChatGPT’s developer, OpenAI, was to create a machine learning system which can carry a natural conversation. In practice, ChatGPT functions like a search engine or content creation system, synthesizing billions of data points into custom responses. 

Your Top 7 Questions About ChatGPT

#1. Will ChatGPT Cause the End of Civilization as We Know it?

While we fielded many tactical questions about the growth of AI, a surprising number of attendees had more dire thoughts on their mind. 

On one end, there were questions about whether or not ChatGPT could replace developers, or if machines will replace all human jobs. On the other end were questions about whether robots would rebel against their programming and oppress humans in a dystopian future from the likes of science fiction.

We’re happy to report that ChatGPT isn’t poised to bring about the end of civilization as we know it. That said, the release of ChatGPT was a pivotal moment for AI, and the field is poised to transform human society.

The growth of AI has raised countless existential questions. What will be the purpose of humans in an automated world? Will we do the impossible and create sentient machines? Will our own creations become a threat of the likes from science fiction? Or will we use AI to create a future of abundance?

Right now, these questions are of course unanswerable, and maybe a bit sensational. But we can confidently say there’s no reason to worry about ChatGPT ending the world.

#2. How Well Can ChatGPT Actually Code?

As a coding tool, ChatGPT excels at certain types of technical problems—but also has its limitations. 

ChatGPT has probably seen almost all known algorithms. But ChatGPT isn’t just able to answer these algorithm questions correctly. It’s also able to write new implementations of those algorithms, answer freeform questions, and explain its work.

As a result, ChatGPT can answer the following question types with reasonable accuracy:

• Well-known algorithms: It’s safe to assume that ChatGPT has seen and is able to answer all publicly available coding problems on platforms such as LeetCode and StackOverflow. If the algorithm appears in online forums or practice websites, ChatGPT will likely answer it correctly.
• Minor variations of problems. ChatGPT does well on variations that tend to add to the solution rather than change it in any substantial way. The system can, for example, easily reverse the order of an array of numbers.
• Multiple choice questions. When presented with a question and multiple potential answers, ChatGPT can usually identify the correct answer.

While ChatGPT outputs human-like sentences, and it’s easy to mistake its output as being powered by true intelligence, ChatGPT does have shortcomings. 

ChatGPT seems intelligent, but is still far from human-level intelligence. Industry publications have described ChatGPT as confidently wrong, exhibiting a tone of confidence in its answers, regardless of whether those answers are accurate. 

ChatGPT also lacks the ability to fact-check itself or conduct logical reasoning. It often incorrectly answers questions and can be tricked relatively easily. 

#3. How Should I Adapt My Hiring Content Strategy to ChatGPT?

Employers will need to develop a strong content strategy to test their current coding challenges and prioritize the questions, and question types, that are less susceptible to AI coding support. Fortunately, there are some actions you can take today to further secure the integrity of your coding tests. 

We recommend taking the following precautions: 

• Avoid easily solved multiple choice questions
• Remove questions that require only a few lines of code to solve
• Use proctoring tools and plagiarism detection systems
• Avoid simple prompts to solve for common or widely available algorithm variants
• Combine coding tests with virtual interviewing tools to add empirical data to the hiring process

#4. Is It Possible to Detect When Candidates Use ChatGPT?

In a world where humans and machines alike can write code, the ability to detect the use of AI-coding tools is invaluable. As such, employers increasingly turn to strategies and technologies that enable them to uphold the integrity of their technical assessments.

So, is it possible to detect when a candidate has received outside help from tools like ChatGPT?

Yes. With the right plagiarism detection system, you can track if a candidate has copied and pasted code from an external source. However, it isn’t possible to identify what source the code was obtained from.

So what kind of plagiarism detection will you need? An AI-enabled plagiarism detection system that feeds proctoring and user-generated signals into an advanced machine-learning algorithm to flag suspicious behavior during an assessment. 

The key behavioral signals to record include:

• Tab proctoring. Monitors if the candidate switches between tabs.
• Copy-paste tracking. Tracks if a candidate pastes copied code in the assessment.
• Image proctoring. Captures and records periodic snapshots of the candidate.
• Image analysis. Analyzes webcam photos for suspicious activity.

By understanding code iterations made by the candidate, models like HackerRank’s plagiarism detection system can identify if a candidate had external help, including from ChatGPT.

#5. Should Employers Test a Candidate’s Ability to Use ChatGPT?

The purpose of coding tests is to assess a candidate’s ability to perform the role. As developers continue integrating AI coding tools into their workflow, the ability to use those tools may become a vital skill to test for. 

In the near future, AI coding tools will become strong enough for developers to integrate them into their day-to-day workflow. This will allow developers to delegate grunt work to AI tools, freeing up time for creative work that requires human input. When that becomes a reality, then assessing the ability of candidates to use AI coding tools will likely be essential.

In the short term, that question becomes harder to answer. Developers are already using tools like ChatGPT in their day-to-day work. But it’s important to remember that  we are still in the early days of conversational AI, and many publicly available models are still prone to error. Whether or not you should start testing competency in these tools will vary on a case-by-case basis.

#6. What Technical Skills Will Still Be Important in an AI-Driven World?

If developers will soon start outsourcing work to AI coding tools, then what skills will still be essential for them to learn?

The ability to write high-quality, optimized, documented, understandable, and bug-free code remains essential. The tech industry is nowhere near outsourcing all coding to artificial intelligence. Debugging, in particular, will be vital, as AI tools can’t be trusted to write bug-free code. 

Human input is also necessary for the development of machine learning models, as evidenced by OpenAI’s recent hiring of an army of developers to train ChatGPT. The field of prompt engineering will grow in importance as humans test and expand the capabilities of artificial intelligence.

Beyond coding, soft and abstract developer skills are invaluable. Creative problem solving and outside-the-box thinking are vital skills that machines aren’t capable of doing. (At least for now.) 

All of this could be a good thing for developers. With the tactical grunt work outsourced to AI, developers might be able to focus solely on the fun parts of coding and development.

#7. What’s Next for Artificial Intelligence?

In the short term, conversational AI will change the way we work. Developers are already using ChatGPT for a range of creative use cases.

But instead of replacing developers, technologies like ChatGPT will serve as tools to make them more productive. For example, coding tasks that took two hours might only take 15 minutes with the help of AI. But it’s difficult to predict how this surge in productivity will impact developer wages and employment rates.

In the long term, the potential of AI is harder to anticipate. The forms these technologies will take are limited only by our imagination. Some experts believe AI is poised to usher in the next era of human civilization. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has compared the advancement of AI to the discovery of fire and electricity. Even the next evolution of humanity is in the works. 

Embracing Artificial Intelligence

As exciting as the launch of ChatGPT has been, conversational AI with its capabilities are only the beginning. While it’s hard to predict the future, one thing is certain: AI technology is in a nascent state and will continue to grow at a rapid rate.

Here at HackerRank, we welcome this new wave of technological transformation and are already working on innovative ideas that imagine a future of programming in an AI-driven world. Indeed, AI’s potential to transform the world is limitless. In 50 years, we might look back on the rise of conversational AI as the moment that changed everything.

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