ADP has incorporated generative artificial intelligence into its payroll app, Roll. The company said the launch is the first step in its strategy to leverage generative AI’s capability to develop or enhance tools built around its global workforce data.
In addition, the company will begin offering Roll outside the U.S. this fall, starting with Europe and expanding from there.
Launched in 2021, Roll was designed to give small businesses more flexibility in running payroll in a secure, compliant environment. The product uses a conversational interface to step users through the complete payroll process through simple prompts such as “run my payroll.”
Roll’s new incarnation goes beyond payroll administration by using generative AI to answer questions on a range of subjects, from crafting job descriptions to weighing the impact of business investments. ADP positions the app as an “intuitive advisor for small businesses.”
‘The Next Level’
With both the original version of Roll and this update, ADP said it aims to help small-business owners run their companies while balancing demands on their time. The app pulls data from ADP’s database, using actual interactions and company-specific data.
“Integrating new generative AI technology now takes Roll’s capabilities to the next level,” said Sreeni Kutam, ADP’s president of global product and innovation. By using a closed large language model environment, “Roll makes it even easier for business owners to quickly get tailored, valuable guidance in a safe and secure way.”
ADP said Roll’s new capabilities include:
- Access to a Deep Knowledge Base helps business people tackle challenges “in the moment” by providing quick answers through ADP’s knowledge base and the customer’s own data.
- A Chat-Based Interface delivers new guidance when asked plain-English questions such as “Can you help me with a job description for a truck driver?”, “When should payroll taxes be filed in the U.S.?” and “What are the advantages of contributing to a 401K plan compared to other investments?”
- Streamlined Setup and HR and Payroll Support is a guided do-it-yourself setup process that simplifies the process of implementing the app.
- Functionality in both English and Spanish.
ADP President and CEO Maria Black described Roll’s new features as being a part of a “broader generative AI strategy” that uses the company’s infrastructure to offer tools “in the right way for the right reasons and scale them across our business.”
From the beginning, Roll was built almost completely around its chat interface. Users enter phrases in plain language, which leads the system to respond with information or questions, in context and in conversational tone. Over time, the machine-learning engine behind the system learns user preferences as a way to further simplify managing payroll and helping to assure compliance.
Image: ADP
