Inside this issue:
- The great AI resistance
- IBM’s AI breakthrough
- Future-ready HR powered by AI
So, your CHRO just announced that AI is the future of HR, again.
And it’s true.
HR leaders planning or deploying AI jumped from 19% to 61% in just over a year, as per Gallup.
If you’re thinking, “Great, I’m behind,” don’t panic just yet. 90% of CHROs anticipate greater AI integration in 2025, which means your CHRO is pressurized by their boss as well.
But wanting AI and actually succeeding with it are two very different stories.
So, while your competitors are busy debating whether AI will take over the world, the smarter thing is figuring out how to make it work for you before they do.
We’re being told AI will revolutionize everything from recruitment to retention, cut costs, remove bias, and probably make better coffee too.
Meanwhile, HR leaders estimate that 37% of the workforce will be impacted by AI in the next 2-5 years. This is great in theory, but terrifying when you’re the one who has to figure out how to make it actually work, thus beginning the dawn of AI resistance.
The great AI resistance
About 70% of respondents have experienced employee resistance and a lack of trust in AI tools along with challenges in data privacy and resources. With 30% of employees fearing AI replacing their jobs in 3 years, HR folks are probably losing sleep over this too.
This resistance isn’t mere technophobia, as nearly 48% believe better training would improve adoption outcomes. This means, your team isn’t anti-AI, they’re just in need of proper instruction manuals.
Learn how to reskill your teams!
AI is coming for the soul-crushing administrative tasks that take up HR’s time, and not for the strategic professionals. While AI-driven automation may affect jobs, the augmentation increases roles in new strategic areas or redefines existing roles.
How IBM stopped panicking and learned to love AI!
While most companies are still debating whether AI will change HR, IBM just went ahead and proved it. They deployed AI agents to handle work that was slowly taking over HR’s time.
As a result, IBM’s AskHR AI agent automated 94% of routine HR inquiries, such as vacation requests and payroll questions.
Surprisingly, IBM’s employment has gone up!
This is because AI gave IBM more investment to put into other areas. Their HR people moved into roles requiring critical thinking, strategic workforce planning, and problem-solving.
They didn’t replace their HR team but liberated them from admin work.
The lesson here is simple: stop asking if AI will transform HR. Start asking how you’ll make it work for you before your competitors figure it out.
BUT… don’t let AI turn your workplace into a robot factory!
Explore more insights on transforming HR with AI
Let’s not forget that humans still need to feel… well, human at work. When someone’s dealing with a family emergency, going through a tough time at work, or trying to figure out a problem, that’s when you need actual humans who can read between the lines and respond with empathy instead of algorithms.
AI might be great at processing data, but it’s terrible at processing feelings. So, AI isn’t going anywhere, but neither is the need for genuine human connection at work.
The question is whether you’ll use AI to enhance the employee experience or accidentally destroy it.
