Fontys students are helping to develop an inclusive AI solution for CSU

CSU employs staff from over 130 different countries. How do you ensure that HR policies truly resonate with all these colleagues, with their different languages and cultural backgrounds? Students from the Fontys ‘AI for Society’ minor, in collaboration with cleaning company CSU, have developed a smart AI solution that helps to test policies against a broad and diverse group of employees. A unique, bespoke tool that contributes to greater understanding, connection and more inclusive collaboration.

CSU aims to operate in as people-centred a way as possible. That is why new and existing policies are tested with employees in advance wherever possible: what do they think of them and do they work in practice? However, this proves difficult, particularly with cleaning staff. Organising a representative focus group takes a lot of time, and collecting and summarising feedback is complex. The AI-driven focus group, developed in collaboration with Fontys students, makes this process more accessible and easier to manage.

AI as a tool for people-centred policy
The AI solution makes it easier for CSU to gather insights from a diverse group of staff. This makes it simpler to bridge differences and better align policy with day-to-day practice. Technology does not act as a substitute for human contact here, but rather as a tool to listen and understand better.

Different perspectives on ethical issues
“Fontys students on the AI for Society minor have been exploring the question of how to assess policy in a straightforward way amongst a broad and diverse group of staff,” explains Danny Bloks, lecturer, researcher and coordinator of the minor.

“The group of students is very diverse, with backgrounds in engineering, psychology, healthcare, law and business. The students themselves also come from different cultural backgrounds. It is precisely this diversity that provides multiple perspectives, and that is essential when developing an HR tool. From a purely technical approach, stereotyping is always a risk. By working together on a single concept, you are better able to strike a balance.”

During development, considerable attention has been paid to ethical and legal issues. “We work exclusively with scientifically substantiated research on nationalities. We now have a well-thought-out prototype that is ready for initial testing. In the next phase, we will investigate, for example, whether the tool is too stereotypical. The system is self-learning and deliberately includes settings that allow you to adjust the degree of generalisation. We are keen to continue this development in collaboration with CSU.”

‘We provide insight into humanity’
Kos Fourkiotis, Innovation Manager at CSU, also sees clear added value: “What makes this project special is that we are bringing together two worlds that are rarely connected: the precision of mathematics and AI on the one hand, and the people-centred reality of cultural values and social norms on the other. We do not want to gloss over differences, but rather to recognise and utilise them. Every culture brings valuable perspectives and good intentions – and we want to do justice to that.”

Contributing to social impact
This project demonstrates what Fontys stands for: working with industry partners on current social issues. Students use their knowledge and creativity to contribute to applications that make a difference. In this way, they show how technology can help us understand people better and make the workplace more inclusive. A powerful example of how Fontys makes an impact – today and in the future.

Author: Marieke van de Laar

Photo: Kos Fourkiotis (CSU)

- For more information about the AI for Society minor at Fontys, visit https://www.fontys.nl/en/Study...
- For more information about submitting a case study for our teaching programme, visit https://www.partnersfontysict....