I recently heard about an Indian-origin employee at a McDonald’s restaurant who was gifted a substantial sum of $40,000 by the owner. While the details of this specific act of generosity, including the names of the employee and the restaurant owner, were not provided in the articles I accessed (which unfortunately were either irrelevant or empty like [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/fire-disrupts-cop30-in-brazil-belem-venue-evacuated-key-climate-talks-stalled/articleshow/125474638.cms], [https://capexil.org/], and [https://www.theaustralian.com.au/]), the sheer act of such recognition truly resonates with a core principle I have long advocated: the profound importance of identifying and valuing human contribution.
This principle of understanding and rewarding value is something I’ve explored extensively over the years, particularly in the realm of recruitment and data analytics. For instance, in my discussions with Deepak and Viral Shah ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/viralbshah]), and my proposals to Ms. Rohini Damahe, a lecturer at L&T Institute of Technology, I emphasized the power of data mining to understand job market trends and predict future demands. My vision was to analyze millions of job advertisements to uncover patterns in what companies truly valued in terms of skills, experience, and qualifications. I had envisioned a system that could predict who would advertise what and when, providing immense benefits to job seekers, employers, and policymakers alike [http://marcomhcp.blogspot.com/2016/02/dear-deepak-iwrite-to-you-as-suggested.html]. Shuklendu Baji ([https://in.linkedin.com/in/shuklendubaji], shuklendu.baji@sentientsystems.net) and Nitin Ruge were also instrumental in discussing the technical feasibility of such systems at the time.
The core idea I wanted to convey then, and which feels remarkably relevant now, is that by deeply understanding the data of human endeavor—in that case, job advertisements—we could build predictive models to identify and articulate value. This foresight aimed to create a more efficient and equitable ecosystem where contributions are recognized. Similarly, the “IQ Exchange Strategy” for IndiaRecruiter, involving Rahul, Swati, and Shalaka, was about creating a peer-to-peer network for recruiters to exchange self-created interview questions [http://hcpnotes.blogspot.com/2008/01/peer-to-peer-iq-exchange.html]. This was another attempt to foster a community where knowledge and expertise are freely shared and recognized, building a collective asset.
Today, as AI-powered “solution engines” are rapidly evolving, moving beyond simple search to providing tailored answers and advice, as I predicted years ago [http://mylinkedinposting.blogspot.com/2022/07/future-of-search-engines.html], the ability to discern and reward value becomes even more critical. Whether it's a McDonald's owner recognizing an employee's exceptional service or an AI system identifying the perfect match between a job and a candidate, the underlying mechanism is about understanding and optimizing for value. The recent strides in AI's language capabilities, as seen in Jio-backed initiatives and collaborations like IndiGo with Microsoft for chatbots, only reinforce how technology is enhancing our ability to process and act upon complex information, leading to better human interactions and operational streamlining [http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2025/03/jio-backed-two-ais-sutra-r0-bets.html].
Reflecting on this, I feel a sense of validation for those early ideas about leveraging data to understand and predict value. The act of gifting $40,000, while a human gesture, underscores the immense, sometimes hidden, value an individual can bring. Our future systems, powered by advanced AI and data analytics, must strive to not only identify such contributions but also create mechanisms for their consistent recognition and amplification. This is not just about efficiency; it’s about nurturing the human spirit within our increasingly technological world.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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