HR technology and artificial intelligence (AI): the reality of change

Technological disruption is inevitable.

So, the question is not ‘if’, but rather ‘how do we adapt’.

To better understand ethical AI leadership and technology change management, we hosted a webinar with HR Director Lizzy Barry, HR Consulting Director Dan Grace, and Senior L&D Advisor Vanessa Aradia.

In this blog, I’ve summarized some of their conversations, examining the reality of HR technology today and what it means for business.

Next steps at work

HR professionals have been working hard over the past few years, trying to keep up with changes and related technological needs.

The pressure is increasing now that AI is getting involved.

In fact, Gartner reports that 38% of HR leaders have implemented or used generative AI – this number has doubled since June 2023.

Lizzy explains: “They say the only certain things in life are death and taxes – in fact we say that ‘change’ should be added to that list.

“In the last 5-10 years, Covid has created a huge difference in the way staff work, with more and more people now working hybrid and relying on tools that allow them to work remotely.

“AI is just one change in the way we do business, and this disruption is inevitable.

“Successful businesses understand that AI is just the next step and will take the time to consider how they can use the tool effectively, taking their people on the journey and educating their teams.”

Practical applications of AI today

During the webinar, Dan shared his views on the practical applications of AI and the use cases we see today, saying: “AI isn’t going anywhere – it’s here today and in our everyday workflows.

“Now, you can’t really look at an HR tool without seeing some form of AI feature, like a job description generator or even chatbots.

“We are truly at an inflection point with AI – this is happening whether you like it or not.

“Therefore, you need to engage and implement strong governance around what your business does and the right way to implement those things.

“I saw a pretty interesting statistic: almost 100% of Fortune 500 companies are already using AI in recruiting, and many are also using it in HR.

“If the Fortune 500 use it, then most other companies will follow; it is safe to assume that many companies are already using this tool or planning to use it in the next three to six months.

“Today, the algorithms that support recruitment have been around for years, both biased and unbiased.

“But now we also see that some of these AI models also have inherent biases in them.

“This has resulted in lawsuits, particularly in the US.

“You need to have a good understanding of the algorithms you are implementing, and I recommend you ask the vendor if they can provide you with a bias audit, as there are potentially huge implications.

“What these biased models do and the impact they have is truly worrying – it may be eliminating the right people, causing workforce losses, and impacting profits and bottom lines.”

Legislative risks

And also highlighted recent legislative changes, saying: “You really have to be careful about what these tools do and the impact they have on your business.

“This is a very risky thing, and we are seeing more and more regulations being introduced in the US and Europe.

“In Europe, we’ve seen the EU AI Act come into force, which is a very impactful piece of legislation and can have huge repercussions if you get it wrong.

“Key takeaways: worry about AI bias and be aware of upcoming regulations that will impact everywhere we go.”

Helping people adapt

Vanessa provided some closing advice, sharing her views on adapting to technological change: “The world doesn’t stop when we catch our breath.

“Whether it’s the horse-to-car revolution or the decision shift from AI to humans, change is never abstract and transforms the skills we need, the tools we use, and the way we think about our own values.

“Resilience, adaptability and what I call ‘shift fitness’ are the muscles that allow us to stay upright when everything around us is moving.

“This shift doesn’t always happen overnight, the winners are those who are ready to learn, unlearn and rethink their role in the system.”

If you want more guidance, good news! Our no-nonsense practical sessions are now available to watch on demand.

In this webinar, you will learn how to:

• Turn employee fears into technology adoption with ethical leadership
• Build AI-enabled organizations to amplify human potential
• Create a practical governance framework for data privacy, security, and corporate policies
• Develop employee training and AI literacy programs
• Change your HR function from reactive to strategic

This session will give you the framework and tools to confidently lead through AI transformation, without losing the human touch that makes your organization special.