KI-BEP
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for professional decision-making processes
Project lead
Prof. Dr. Peter Weber
Project staff
Prof. Dr. Bernd-Joachim Ertelt
Project duration
April 2021 – September 2025
Focal Points
Artificial Intelligence (AI), career counselling, labour-market counselling, decision heuristics, supported counselling, counselling support programme
Description
Professional decision-making and problem-solving processes take place within restricted rationality in the form of individual heuristics. Our current research project at the HdBA aims to support the counselling specialist using AI in diagnosing and mapping the heuristics used by a client. The more or less open solution spaces of a heuristic (e.g. "one-reason-decision") should become more consistent through the identification of further decision-making criteria ("constraints") . More consistent solution spaces help to gauge possible alternatives (professions, jobs, career options) in terms of their "satisfaction offers".
The aim of the project is the development and testing of an AI-based tool that enables better support of professional decision-making processes (BEP) for those seeking advice in counselling sessions. We involve AI models as they were developed in other decision-making contexts.
The AI programme to be developed in our ongoing project serves as a tool for counsellors to dynamically adapt to the respective needs for information and comprehension abilities of those seeking advice in the counselling process. Linking up with existing career counselling and labour-market information systems is a basic requirement for this. This approach is based on "weak AI systems", i.e., AI which is there to support and expand human thinking in specific application problems. This approach places increased demands on the diagnostic skills of counsellors as, on the one hand, they have to recognise the individual heuristics and the need for information, and on the other, understand categories and algorithms so well that input and interpretation can take place without any issues.
AI could help make considerable progress with regard to the definition of solution spaces and their interaction with alternative actions: help with the inclusion of important criteria, consistency checks for individual preferences, implementation assistance and probability. The second stage of the project involves linking up with existing information systems on professions, degree programmes, further training opportunities, available options and labour-market developments.
The AI programme to be developed in our ongoing project serves as a tool for counsellors to dynamically adapt to ("i.S. „augmented intelligence") the respective needs for information and comprehension abilities of those seeking advice in the counselling process. The programme can also be used as a trainingtool, to support counsellors or students when independently identifying heuristics and solution spaces.