Getting workers to trust and adopt AI is 'forcing HR people to reinvent themselves'

As corporations pour an impressive $252.3 billion into artificial intelligence investments this year, a significant hurdle remains: employee skepticism. According to Ted F. Tschang, an associate professor at Singapore Management University, organizations that fail to effectively integrate AI into their daily operations risk losing employee trust and acceptance. A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that nearly one-third of workers fear AI could diminish job opportunities in the future. Furthermore, a study conducted by the University of Melbourne and KPMG, which surveyed over 48,000 participants across 47 nations, found that only 46% are willing to trust AI systems. This disconnect poses a pressing challenge for HR departments, which must now focus on fostering an environment of trust and familiarity with AI. To bridge this gap, Tschang emphasizes the necessity for HR leaders to cultivate AI fluency, meaning they must deeply understand the technology and its potential applications within their organizations. Unfortunately, the traditional responsibilities of HR—ranging from recruitment and onboarding to compliance—often leave little room for technological advancement. Heather Conklin, CEO of Torch, a corporate coaching firm, notes that the rise of AI is prompting HR professionals to reinvent themselves. Successful HR teams are treating their departments as experimental zones, actively engaging with AI tools and learning through experience. "They can't drive it across the company if they haven't lived it," Conklin asserts, highlighting the importance of firsthand experience in building credibility with employees. To win over skeptical staff, HR leaders must address real concerns, as pointed out by Dexter Bachelder, CEO of Propel People, an AI recruiting platform. Employees are more likely to embrace AI when they see tangible benefits in their work lives, such as reduced paperwork and streamlined tasks. Bachelder stresses that peer-to-peer explanations often resonate more with workers than messages from management, as real-life applications demonstrate the technology’s practical benefits. However, simply upgrading HR technology will not resolve all issues surrounding employee trust. Concerns about job security and algorithmic bias persist, and HR leaders must respond to pressing questions about transparency, fairness, and accountability in AI decision-making. As Conklin warns, failure to navigate these challenges could leave HR departments and organizations behind in this rapidly evolving landscape.