How to navigate the adoption of AI in HR (without losing the human touch)

Human resources isn’t immune to the hype around AI tools – and plenty of HR teams have already climbed on board (or intend to do so soon).

Between June 2023 and January 2024, the number of HR leaders conducting pilots or planning AI implementations doubled. Today, 42% of HR teams are actively using AI in some capacity. That growth signals more than curiosity. It reflects a broader shift in how HR departments are approaching their work.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s driving the rapid adoption of AI in HR, the areas being transformed the most, and how you can implement AI technology to increase your efficiency and impact – while still preserving the “human” in human resources.

Why are HR professionals embracing AI?

AI adoption is occurring at a breakneck pace across industries and functions – even faster than the adoption of PCs or the internet. And the proverbial mustard won’t go back in the bottle. This technology is here, and it’s here to stay.

So, for HR professionals, it’s less of a question of if they’re going to use AI in HR and more a question of how to do so responsibly and effectively. Fortunately, most HR leaders and professionals have a positive outlook on artificial intelligence, with 83.9% saying that using AI makes HR function more efficiently.

What do those positive impacts look like? Implementing AI can help HR departments with the following.

Doing more with less

Expectations for HR teams keep climbing, with 83% of HR leaders saying they’re expected to do more now than three years ago. Yet their budgets stay flat – or worse, shrink. In 2024, 30% of HR teams expected budget cuts, and another 30% expected their budgets to stay the same despite increased human resources responsibilities.

That makes AI tools more than just a new, shiny object. They can be an invaluable resource for managing workloads, streamlining operations, and preserving the team’s capacity for more strategic work.

Keeping up with employee expectations

Today’s employees – especially those of younger generations – want modern, tech-enabled experiences at work. That means they expect to be able to use artificial intelligence in the workplace. In fact, employees are twice as likely as their leaders to think they’ll use AI for more than 30% of their daily tasks within the next year.

Companies that resist this technology risk more than just looking out of touch. They miss out on the speed, personalization, and support AI can add to their candidate journey and employee experience.

Future-proofing HR functions

AI is influencing more than just how work gets done – it’s changing the nature of work itself. HR teams play a crucial role in helping organizations reskill and rethink their talent strategies, especially as more roles evolve or emerge in response to AI technology.

Understanding and successfully implementing AI is part of future-proofing the entire HR function.

4 key HR functions impacted by AI adoption

From creating employee-facing chatbots to generating job descriptions, many companies are finding a place for AI in common HR processes. While Culture Amp doesn’t currently implement AI in all of the below areas, here’s a general look at where AI in HR is making the biggest impact.

1. Talent acquisition

Of all HR functions, recruiting is seeing the most widespread AI adoption – and it’s not hard to see why. According to data from SHRM, talent acquisition was the top use case for AI, with 64% of HR professionals saying they use it as part of the hiring process.

HR teams commonly use AI applications to help write job descriptions, review resumes, automate candidate searches, and communicate with applicants.

2. Learning and development

Talent acquisition gets employees in the door. At that point, many HR departments are using AI for learning and development, with 43% of HR professionals saying they use it in this way.

AI tools can help HR teams recommend courses based on individual roles, career goals, or skill gaps and track learning progress over time. Additionally, AI can support HR professionals in creating or improving learning content and programs that respond to new technologies, changing business needs, and evolving employee expectations related to career growth.

3. Performance management

Performance management hasn’t quite seen the same level of AI implementation, with 25% of HR teams currently using AI for these HR processes. This could be because of the higher stakes consequences, like pay and job security, related to performance processes and decisions. Even so, AI offers a lot of potential for performance management and will likely continue gaining steam.

AI technology can offer guidance to managers on performance conversations and action plans, especially around providing helpful feedback, assisting with employee goal-setting, and breaking down employee data for better performance insights.

4. Leader and manager development

For the third year in a row, leader and manager development is the top priority for HR leaders. AI tools can support this development by helping leaders identify skill gaps and relevant training, and even simulating tricky scenarios (like giving tough feedback or managing team conflict) for practice and coaching.

Culture Amp’s AI Coach uses expert coaching and guided role-play to help managers handle high-stakes conversations and complex situations with skill and empathy. This leads to more confident, capable managers who are equipped to lead, regardless of what comes their way.

Ready to unlock high performance with coaching at scale?

Check out AI Coach now

Best practices for implementing AI in HR

AI tools hold a lot of promise – but realizing that promise requires a thoughtful, people-first approach. Yet only 7% of HR departments say they have a formal, documented artificial intelligence strategy in place.

Much like with anything else, plugging in a tool doesn’t automatically lead to better outcomes. Here are a few best practices to be intentional, strategic, and make the most of AI in HR.

Start with a clear problem to solve

Begin by identifying a specific challenge or inefficiency – whether that’s streamlining your hiring process to reduce time-to-hire, personalizing learning at scale, or improving manager feedback quality. This helps you choose the right HR tools, measure success more clearly, and get buy-in from stakeholders.

Involve employees and managers early

AI tools are most effective when people actually use them. Involve your team in selecting and piloting tools and be sure to gather their feedback along the way. Provide clear guidance on how the AI tool works, what it’s for, how to use it, and how it supports (rather than replaces) human judgment.

Common AI implementation challenges (and how to overcome them)

AI adoption in HR departments may face a few hurdles. From team hesitations to technical concerns, these challenges can slow your progress or lead to frustration if they’re not addressed head-on. Here’s a look at a couple of the most common roadblocks – and how you can steer around them.

Resistance from HR professionals

Even with growing interest, not every HR team member is eager to integrate AI tools into their workflows. Some worry about losing the human touch. Others fear being replaced by technology or feel overwhelmed by yet another tool to learn. Without thoughtful change management – including clear communication, training, and leadership buy-in – that resistance can make AI technology feel more like a burden than a benefit.

How to overcome it

Frame AI as a support system for human HR departments, not a substitute. Show how specific tools can eliminate repetitive work and create more time for meaningful, people-focused tasks. Start small with a pilot project, involve the team early, and provide plenty of training and transparency along the way.

Unclear success metrics

There’s a lot of excitement around AI tools, making it easy to get so caught up in the buzz that you forget to ask yourself what success actually looks like. Without defined outcomes, it’s hard to evaluate the impact of AI or justify continued investment.

How to overcome it

Much like you do with any other strategic initiative, set clear goals and track your progress. Whether you’re aiming to boost employee engagement scores, streamline your hiring process, or increase manager effectiveness, tying your AI adoption to measurable outcomes helps you ensure you’re accomplishing what you want to.

The future of AI in HR: trends and predictions

While AI has already shaken up many HR functions, we’re only beginning to discover the role this technology will play in human resources. As we look to the future, here’s what HR leaders can expect to see coming.

AI as a core part of HR strategy (not a side experiment)

AI isn’t going anywhere. Gartner predicted that 60% of HR leaders will have adopted AI solutions for at least one core function by 2025. Moving forward, AI tools won’t just support HR operations – they could play a critical role in how teams structure themselves, set goals, and get work done.

Employee-facing tools will become more common

Smart assistants and personalized recommendations are becoming more common for consumers, and employees will expect a similar experience at work. From AI-powered onboarding to automated coaching to chatbots designed to answer common HR questions, these AI tools will increasingly shape how people interact with HR.

This rate of change can feel daunting, but take comfort in this fact: Ironically, the more AI is adopted in HR, the more important the human element becomes. The future of HR isn’t less human – it’s more human. When you use AI tools for help with repetitive tasks and basic support, you can focus more attention on what matters most: your people.

AI that supports (not substitutes) your HR team

With the right strategy, your team can use AI tools to amplify their impact, helping you meet those ever-rising expectations and freeing you up to do more of the work that requires a human touch. That includes connecting with employees, guiding managers, and building a workplace where people can thrive. Put simply, AI isn’t here to take your job – it’s here to make you better at it.

Ready to explore AI that helps you do just that?

Check out Culture Amp’s AI capabilities today