So, what has AI’s rise already revealed? How is this different to early expectations? And what do HR directors need to understand if they are to navigate the opportunities and risks it presents?
Shifting from roles to skills.
Suppose businesses are to maximise the opportunities and minimise the risks of this profound disruptor. In that case, they must reflect on what AI is doing, not what they thought it would do, and respond accordingly.

When AI originally began to emerge, there was a pervasive fear that it would replace jobs. As its use expanded, this narrative shifted to the belief that AI would not take over a job; instead, jobs would be taken over by those who best understood how to utilise it.

Now, with AI becoming more embedded in workplaces, it is becoming clear that this is not what is happening. We are instead seeing AI disrupt systems and processes, resulting in a necessary shift of focus from human roles to human skills.

HR teams will need to reflect on what this means for their organisations. How will their people need to adapt? What skills will they need to do that?
Rather than limiting opportunities for people, AI can create far more applications for the human role within organisations.
Valued skillsets can become broader and more transferable, enabling people to move between sectors more easily, while technology takes care of the role-specific process part.

This change is an opportunity that many businesses have yet to realise fully.
Human response mapping.
Regardless of how well a business understands the way AI is changing the workplace, successfully managing this will require a clear understanding of how people respond to change.

There are three essential stages to consider.
First, communication.
Almost all businesses will have to ask people to work differently.

How firms communicate this change will often be the difference between success and failure. With any communication, people have the choice to acknowledge what is being said or ignore it.

As there is no option to ignore AI, HR leaders must devote sufficient attention to how they communicate these changes, including actively listening to any concerns that may arise.
Second, response.
People may experience change as a threat, and when faced with a threat, many people experience a ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response:

• Fight: explore and challenge the new thing; test the limits of its opportunity and risk
• Flight: avoid/ignore the change
• Freeze: become overwhelmed by the change

Understanding which response an individual is having will enable leaders to work through it in a supportive and productive way.
Third, outcome.
Ultimately, people will either engage with the change or reject it. While appropriate communication and an informed and supportive approach to individuals’ different responses will increase the likelihood of engagement, there will inevitably be some people who will still reject AI.
Again, recognising a shift from roles to skills, HR leaders can help these people identify the relevant skills they do have, then find the right place for them.
Working together.
Technology does not adapt to people; people adapt to it.

To date, much of the focus on AI’s rise has been on the technology itself.

However, AI will only work well for people if people learn how to work effectively with it. If businesses are to integrate technology effectively, they must place a greater emphasis on the people side. How will it change the way we function and the skills we will need in the future?

If businesses and HR leaders learn these lessons, AI offers huge opportunity to spark innovation, curiosity and ultimately increase human potential.