INNOVATE RESPONSIBLY
for the benefit of humanity
What is H Co?
The aim of H Co is to make sure that, in a world of technology, we protect the working lives and futures of humanity.
Inspired by what B Corp has achieved in terms of balancing purpose and profit for the benefit of all stakeholders across society and the environment, we want to help businesses adopt AI in a way that puts the interests of people over profit.
This is not about not innovating, but innovating responsibly. It's about making sure that those whose jobs are under threat from automation can retrain or that there will be enough jobs available for young people leaving education – jobs in which they can learn about their chosen industry and become the next generation of experts and leaders. And ultimately this is also about persuading businesses developing AI to do so with humanity at heart.
For a while now, there's been anxious talk about this, and yet there's been very little action to address it or mitigate its outcomes. So H Co offers the beginning of a solution – and a chance for businesses to stand up and stand for their true human heart. And why wouldn't you?
How does it work?
To register as an H Co, you simply need to show your organisational approach to responsible innovation – how you intend to protect your people now and into the future, while balancing that with the need to innovate. We see it as a promise to your workforce of today and tomorrow, as well as humanity at large, and also a commitment to fulfill your customised H Co criteria, such as:
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Maintain at least 75% of junior roles, so the next generation can learn the trade without fear of becoming obsolete
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Guarantee greater overall investment in people than in AI automation or generation
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Commit to AI training for all levels
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Commit to retraining those in roles that have become business-critical
to automate
Based on a business's performance against these criteria, it will be ranked in our Human Business Index (HBI), which will be published every six months so the world can see where you stand – and what you stand for – when it comes to your people and people in general.
And we know that different sectors will have different criteria depending on what they do and deliver – hence the customisation. But we will encourage collaboration and sharing by H Cos within each sector to help others find ways to keep humans at the living heart of things.
It was our children who started this off. A simple question one Sunday evening: "Daddy, how are we going to get jobs if AI is doing them all?"
Why do this?
We couldn't give a good answer, because there didn't seem to be one. Thousands of people were talking about it, but nobody was trying to actually do anything. So we decided to change that – and the H Co concept was born.
For those of you with children, or nephews and nieces, or godchildren or grandchildren, or those who know men and women over 50 who are suddenly deemed to be surplus to requirements, you'll understand. Because these are the people whose work present and career futures are being undermined and compromised – and at the expense of our planet's wellbeing.
There must be a better way and H Co aims to find it – but we can't do it alone. So we're looking initially for a group of interested partners and advisers – those who recognise the importance of action and want to help shape it. Further down the line, we want to work with government and representatives from all industry sectors to make it happen. But it needs to start now.
Interested?Sign up...
Registering today is simply a statement of interest. We are not ready to take on the world yet and we need help from as many people as possible to get there, be that advice, expertise or simply support. We'll be in touch, though only when we have something exciting to say.