Humans provide necessary ‘checks and balances’ for AI, says Lattice CEO

Of all the words in the dictionary, Sarah Franklin says “balance” is perhaps her favorite — especially when it comes to companies embracing AI.

Franklin leads the Jack Altman-founded employee performance software company Lattice, which is now worth $3 billion. Both onstage at SXSW London and in conversation with TechCrunch, she spoke a lot about balance — the opportunities in finding it, and the risks of not having it during this AI revolution. 

“We put people first,” Franklin told TechCrunch, referring to Lattice, which has started to adopt more AI and automation features. 

Although some companies are touting AI as a way to replace massive numbers of workers, some tech leaders are speaking more openly about the importance of striking a balance at their companies: retaining human employees while augmenting them with AI assistants and “agents.” At SXSW London, Franklin said that looking to fully replace human workers might seem like a good idea in the short term for cost-saving reasons, but such a move might not actually be attractive to customers.

“It’s important to ask yourself, ‘Are you building for the success of the AI first [or are] you building for the success of the people and your customers first?” she said, adding that trust is the most important currency any founder or startup company has, and that building trust with consumers is paramount. “It’s good to have efficiency, but you don’t want to trade out trust.” 

Franklin also stressed the importance of transparency, accountability, and responsibility when it comes to AI. Leaders need to be transparent with employees about what the AI is doing, the AI must be narrowly applied to a particular goal so people understand how it works, and humans must ultimately be held accountable for what the AI impacts. 

“Otherwise, we are then in service of the AI versus the AI being in service of us,” Franklin continued. 

In an interview with TechCrunch after her SXSW appearance, Franklin said Lattice has built an AI HR agent that gives proactive insights and assists employees in one-on-one meetings. The company also has a platform where Lattice clients can create their own custom agents for their businesses. 

Franklin was adamant that humans must have oversight of any AI technology implemented by a company. “It’s a way to just have the regular checks and balances that we’re used to in our workforce,” she told TechCrunch.

She thinks the victors in this AI moment in history will be the ones who learn how to put people first. According to Franklin, it’s one of the most important guardrails that a company can have on AI. 

“We all have a responsibility to make sure that we’re doing this for the people of society,” Franklin said. “Human connection cannot be replaced, and the winners are going to be the companies that understand that.”