NTIB Assignment:

Critically examine the impact of machine learning in HR processes keeping

into account the Chinese Social Credit Score System. How would this impact
the future workplace?
Data & Machine Learning
Data are characteristics or information, usually numerical, that are collected through observation.
In a more technical sense, data is a set of values of qualitative or quantitative variables about one
or more persons or objects, while a datum is a single value of a single variable whereas Big
data is a phrase used to mean a massive volume of both structured and unstructured data that is
so large it is difficult to process using traditional database and software techniques. In most
enterprise scenarios the volume of data is too big, or it moves too fast or it exceeds current
processing capacity.

Machine Learning
Machine learning is a method of data analysis that automates analytical model building. It is a
branch of artificial intelligence based on the idea that systems can learn from data, identify
patterns and make decisions with minimal human intervention.
The best programming language for machine learning is Python. Python is the most popular,
general purpose programming language suitable for a variety of tasks in machine learning. R is
used for data analysis and statistical computations. The best language for machine learning
depends on the area on which it is going to be applied.

China Social Credit System

What is China’s social credit system?
Although most reporting on the social credit system has focused on its relationship with
individual citizens, it applies to two other groups as well. There is one social credit system for
citizens, one for businesses and other organizations, and one for government officials.
Broadly speaking, the main purpose of the social credit system is to monitor and assess each
group’s trustworthiness, particularly as it relates to following laws and other rules.
For citizens, this mostly relates to creditworthiness in a similar way to how credit scores work in
Western countries. While the system has the potential to be abused, its main purpose is to
address the problem of China being a low trust society with limited credit information on each
citizen.
For example, because most citizens lack credit history, it is difficult for entities such as banks to
assess who can be trusted to repay a loan that they might issue. The system goes beyond
financial trustworthiness, though, and keeps track of individuals’ legal infringements and, in the
future, potentially other types of behaviour as well.
For businesses, the system focuses on ensuring that they follow laws and regulations and pay
taxes in an appropriate and timely manner, though product and service quality will also be
measured. The goal, according to the government, is to create a fair, transparent, and predictable
business environment.
The social credit system is slightly different for government officials, who are assessed on
criteria such as the extent to which they carry out orders from the central government.
Discrepancies between central instructions and local implementation have long characterized
Chinese politics, and in recent years the centre has made it a higher priority to restore top-down
control. More generally, the government social credit system seeks to ensure that officials are
politically loyal, well performing, and corruption-free.
Differentiating between Alibaba’s Sesame Credit and social credit rating
As well, the social credit system is frequently conflated with private credit rating providers,
particularly Sesame Credit operated by Ant Financial, an affiliate company of Alibaba.
This program is separate from the national social credit system and is optional to use, though in
some ways is conceptually similar in its use of big data to analyse behaviour and produce ratings.
Notably, Sesame Credit is only used for individuals and not businesses.
Alibaba has, however, participated in building the infrastructure of the government social credit
system.