Artificial Intelligence: The Ultimate Irony

Many human resource managers around the world are concerned that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will profoundly impact their jobs, and, in extreme cases, take over their jobs, rendering them redundant.

In my quest to allay not only my own concerns, but those of countless other HR practitioners globally, I went straight to the horse’s mouth, so to speak, and asked ChatGPT the following question:

"What role, if any, will humans continue to play in the field of human resource management with the advent of AI?"

What follows is a hybrid of what I received back from ChatGPT and my own thoughts on the matter. Can you tell the difference?

AI and HR: Looking Ahead

AI can assure humans that they will still have a role in human resources (HR) and labour relations (LR) by emphasising the areas where human judgment, emotional intelligence, and ethical considerations are irreplaceable. Here’s how:

1. AI as an Assistant, not as a Replacement

AI excels at automation, data analysis, and pattern recognition, but it lacks the human touch needed for nuanced decision-making in HR. AI should be framed as a tool that enhances human capability rather than a system that replaces it.

By way of example, AI can help screen a curriculum vitae faster, however, humans are needed to interpret context, assess cultural fit, and make final hiring decisions.

AI can suggest employee engagement strategies, but human HR professionals will still be required to personalise and implement these for individuals and teams.

2. The Irreplaceable Human Elements

A number of HR tasks require empathy, ethical judgment, and human connection, which AI cannot replicate. These include:

• Conflict Resolution & Negotiations: AI can provide data on past disputes, but only humans can navigate emotions and mediate conflicts.

• Workplace Culture & Staff Morale: AI can track trends in employee satisfaction; however, fostering trust and belonging requires interaction by humans.

• Ethical Decision-Making: AI can flag compliance risks, but interpreting laws and making fair and equitable decisions in sensitive cases needs a human perspective.

3. AI Needs Human Oversight

AI systems aren’t perfect—they can reflect biases from their training data, misunderstand

complex situations, or make errors that require human oversight and interventions. HR professionals will continue to play a critical role in guiding AI use, ensuring fairness, and making final decisions.

4. Evolving Human Roles in HR

Rather than eliminating jobs, AI will shift human roles toward more strategic and people-

focused work. HR professionals will become strategists, using AI insights to make better workforce decisions. AI ethics and compliance specialists will be needed to ensure AI tools in HR are fair, unbiased, and transparent.

Employee experience designers will focus on creating more engaging and human-

centred workplaces with AI-driven insights.

5. Communication & Transparency

To build trust, organisations should clearly communicate how AI is intended to be used in HR, emphasising that:

• AI will support HR teams rather than replace them

• Humans will always have the final say in important decisions

• AI will be a partner in efficiency, not a threat to employment

Final Thought

AI is transforming HR and labour relations, but the human factor will remain essential. The future of HR will be a human-AI partnership (a synergistic relationship as per the title of one of my previous articles), where AI handles repetitive tasks, and humans will focus on the complex, ethical, and relationship-driven aspects of managing people.

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