As AI transforms the world of work, HR teams must lead the way

The future of work is here, and AI is the catalyst. AI will transform our workplaces, with some thought experts likening its impact on the Digital Age to that of the steam engine during the Industrial Revolution.

In fact, a recent LinkedIn report predicts that AI will drive such rapid change that over 70% of the skills used in most jobs will shift in just 5 years.

As more employees start using AI at work, a critical question emerges: Who will own that practice – and how will HR be involved?

Will HR step up as tactical strategists who actively shape how AI proliferates? Either way, they will have to manage its consequences.

HR has historically owned workplace change and transformation, but they haven’t yet taken an active role on AI strategy. Will they? And what would it take for them to seize this opportunity?

These questions guide our recent research study gauging the way HR professionals think the field of HR can and should play a defining role in the age of AI. In this article, we explore what we learned and why we think HR leaders have a once-in-a-generation chance to architect the future of work.

Our methodology

We surveyed over 230 HR professionals between May 23, 2025, and June 4, 2025 to understand how they’re thinking about AI at work. We asked about their current and anticipated future use of AI, what AI is/is not doing for HR as a field, their assessment of risk and opportunities ahead, and more.

Where we’re at now: HR as adopters rather than owners

Our data shows that HR isn’t rushing to the frontlines of AI strategy. In fact, in most companies, no one yet owns the AI strategy.

And to further complicate HR's current place in the AI revolution, when a function does own AI strategy, it’s rarely HR (only 3% of the time). And worse, only one of every three HR professionals themselves believe HR should own it (37%). That, of course, leaves a strong majority (63%) of HR professionals who think HR is not up to the task.

When we spliced that data by leadership level, we caught a glimmer of hope for HR, though. About one in every two HR leaders (VP+) do think HR should own how AI is used internally, compared to just 26% agreeing at the director level.

Across all levels, we see a u-shaped curve in favorability to whether or not HR should own how employees use AI at work. This shape could be explained by personal use and experimentation, as director level HR professionals in our sample reported the lowest current usage.

We also speculate, though, that director-level HR professionals would be tasked with the most difficult aspect of AI strategy ownership: implementation. Perhaps director-level HR leaders see the practical challenges ahead and are wary of taking them on.

Even though the highest-level HR leaders are more keen than others to take ownership of AI strategy, half are not. These findings suggest that instead of stepping up to the challenge of spearheading AI in the workplace, most HR professionals are watching from a distance.

But that distance won’t keep them safe. As HR gets further away from how AI is used, a gap in credibility, capability, and influence will grow. To prevent that, HR leaders may want to assess their current position in the AI revolution and find ways to get more involved.

How we got here: Why HR has yet to steer the AI revolution at work

Why isn’t HR playing a more active role in shaping the future of AI at work? Our data offers several explanations.

Explanation #1. The work culture doesn’t encourage AI adoption

It could be that HR isn’t racing to own AI because they’re working in environments that are more technology-cautious. In other words, it isn’t just HR lagging, but rather entire companies.

Considering that 1 in 3 companies report having no one appointed to lead AI strategy, this explanation holds weight. Our data also shows that in companies without clear AI ownership, encouragement to experiment with AI drops by 19% points. And the product of lacking experimentation is more hesitation to step forward.

HR’s caution, then, may be as much about culture and psychological safety as it is about the technology itself. Without an environment that supports testing and learning, even the most forward-thinking teams will stay on the sidelines.

Explanation #2. Exposure and avoidance lead to different behavioral feedback loops

22% of the HR professionals we surveyed stated they don’t currently use AI to be more efficient at work. When we compared those who do use AI to those who don’t, we found stark differences.

Compared to the HR professionals who currently use AI at work, HR professionals who don’t are far less likely to believe AI will have a positive impact in the workplace (39% agree v.s. 93%). They feel more afraid of being replaced (57% v.s. 25%) and have less confidence that the ethical risks associated with AI can be managed (30% v.s. 74%).

We might intuit that those who use AI are more hopeful, and those who don’t are threatened because of a behavioral feedback loop. Exposure to a new tool breeds familiarity, and avoidance reinforces fear of what is still unknown.

The HR function is typically more aligned to risk management than risk taking, which could also be reinforcing some of the fears HR professionals may have toward AI.

Explanation #3. So far,HR has mostly used AI to automate repetitive tasks – not inform strategic decisions

We theorize that average AI literacy may reinforce the self-perception among HR professionals that HR shouldn’t lead AI strategy in the workplace.

Our survey reveals that HR professionals have mostly been using AI for HR-centric tasks like writing emails, drafting internal communications, and brainstorming new ideas.

These are real, relevant use cases that are tightly aligned with the day-to-day responsibilities of the HR function. But, they are tactical. Using AI for these tasks may improve efficiency and help to automate the work HR already owns, but they aren’t necessarily shaping the work HR could do in the future.

While it’s assumed that automating repetitive tasks will inherently free up HR professionals for more strategic work, studies demonstrating what can be done with the time LLMs save have yet to surface.

Without intentional effort, time reclaimed by AI risks being consumed by other tactical demands rather than unlocking bigger-picture thinking.

Part of the reason for this is historical. Until recently, AI required technical expertise that sat squarely with IT and engineering teams. By default, ownership of AI in the workplace has naturally leaned toward these functions. However, having the technical know-how doesn’t mean these teams are best equipped to lead workforce transformation. This is the gap HR will eventually need to claim.

Seizing the opportunity: HR as active strategists

What can HR professionals do to set themselves up as the strategic owner of AI transformation?

First and foremost, as our CPO Justin Anguswat puts it:

HR needs to start by getting on the AI tools. You can’t lead what you don’t understand.

HR must develop AI literacy. By experimenting with AI, HR can build the comfort, context, and conviction needed to position itself as leaders in the AI revolution.

Start with something low risk – and preferably in the HR realm – like preparing for a 1-on-1 meeting, drafting a development plan, or identifying strategic reach assignments for your direct reports.

Our data shows that half of HR professionals who currently use AI regularly believe it has improved their ability to lead, compared to only 4% of HR professionals who aren’t using AI often. In other words, those who use AI tools are already seeing gains in their leadership potential.

Fortunately, HR leaders are beginning to steer the ship

While HR professionals across organizational levels show moderate to high buy-in already, leaders be leadin’. 92% of HR C-suite are currently using AI to do their jobs more efficiently, compared to 79% of ICs (the second highest group for use).

We also found that HR leaders are using AI in ways that align with leadership responsibilities. Our data shows that C-suite leaders are far more likely to use AI for upskilling (21% points more than employees at other levels), and that VPs are more likely to use AI to coach managers (13% points more).

Essentially, we’re seeing that the further up the ladder, the more future-focused AI usage tends to be.

Amy Lavoie, VP of People Science at Culture Amp, put it this way:

AI is a huge technology change, but it’s a business strategy and culture change, too. And we cannot change strategies and cultures without the leadership of HR.

HR needs to own AI strategy at work because HR owns work itself

Without picking up the mantle of AI strategy, HR will risk becoming the function that AI happens to, rather than the one that shapes how AI happens. This would come at the detriment of not just the HR function, but also the employees and the company itself.

As Nick Matthews, General Manager of EMEA at Culture Amp, explains:

The misconception that AI belongs solely within IT threatens to undermine one of the most significant workforce transformations in modern business history.

AI represents far more than technological advancement – it constitutes a paradigm shift that will redefine organizational structures, job roles, and workplace dynamics.

Thankfully, our data also shows that AI adoption seems to be on the rise for HR professionals, with 91% saying they plan to use it more in the next year.

It’s the wild, wild west out there, and employees need HR leaders to create processes around AI experimentation

AI’s role in the world is still unfolding, but it’s fundamentally changing how employees do their work. It’s redefining roles and responsibilities, and possibly even the nature of performance – but it’s basically been one big DIY fest so far, as employees have had very little guidance.

Our data shows that HR professionals (and likely employees across most business units) are basically DIY-ing their way through the technological change, with 77% of those surveyed saying they’re teaching themselves how to use AI.

This means that HR still has a huge opportunity. It’s not too late to close the gap and embrace the chance to steer the AI revolution at work. HR already owns the systems that AI impacts most directly, such as job descriptions, internal comms, performance conversations, onboarding and training, manager coaching, and more. The rest is up to HR itself.

We don’t yet know the concrete harms and risks of AI, but HR must be ready to mitigate them once they arrive. The more familiar HR becomes with AI tools, the more prepared they will be to recognize and address potential harms.

How employees use these tools will dictate how powerful they are for businesses. As Greta Bradman, Principal AI Experience Architect at Culture Amp, explains, “HR doesn’t need to own every AI tool, but it must own the impact AI has on people.”

This is the moment HR was made for

HR’s history is one of adaptation. The field has made complete pivots in both philosophy and practice before, and we can do it again. HR was made for the opportunity that AI presents.

Nick Matthews explains:

As AI reshapes the fundamental nature of work itself, HR leaders must step forward as strategic architects of organizational change. Their deep understanding of their people, combined with their knowledge of how the business works in practice, makes them natural partners for C-suite colleagues navigating AI adoption.

HR is uniquely equipped to own AI strategy at work because:

• AI introduces ethical risks, bias concerns, and possibly organizational anxiety that HR can proactively manage. HR already manages risk, culture, and employee trust – no other function is better suited to navigate nuance, uphold equity, and operationalize ethics across every level of the business.
• Unlike IT or legal, HR isn’t siloed. It works cross-functionally by default. That gives HR a bird’s-eye view of how AI tools affect different roles and a frontline pulse on employee sentiment, which makes it the ideal function to align AI use with business reality.
• From remote work transitions to DEI initiatives, HR has proven it can introduce, adapt, and scale new ways of working (all while managing resistance and safeguarding experience). AI should be no exception.

So we return to the question: Will HR step up as tactical strategists who actively shape how AI proliferates – or will HR just manage its consequences?

We hope it’s the former, as no one is better positioned to sort the practical from the potential and enact the organizational transformation in a people-forward way.

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