I was recently invited to participate in an AI Roundtable with my peers from Cornerstone International Group. We had participation from four continents to discuss the question, “How are organizations using AI beyond the headlines?”
To be clear, I live somewhere between experimental and operational AI user today. On one hand, I die a little inside every time I ask AI to help me write a blog or exercise my creative muscles to originate ideas, create strategies and solve problems.
On the other hand, I am learning to embrace how AI is becoming a thought partner to refine ideas, eliminate tasks (I don’t enjoy doing), and ultimately, boost efficiency and productivity as an executive recruiter.
To help with my AI Roundtable preparation, I interviewed several trusted HR leaders in my network across various industries – agriculture & construction equipment, banking, healthcare technology, manufacturing and professional services.
I asked five thought questions. Below is what I learned:
1. When you think about AI in your organization today, does it feel more like an opportunity, a risk, or pressure to keep up?
“I would say AI is viewed as an 80% opportunity and 20% pressure to keep up. Our CEO set the tone by declaring AI a game-changer and committed the organization to getting behind it. The message emphasized AI as an enabling tool to scale our business and make our employees more efficient and effective, not about reducing headcount,” one HR leader said.
Another HR leader shared, “There is a lot of pressure to keep up and ensure we are innovating as quickly as our clients and investors expect. AI utilization is top of mind for our C-suite, and I generally don’t get out of a meeting without someone mentioning AI.”
Bottom line: While primarily viewed as an opportunity, there is real pressure to compete and innovate. Leadership sets the expectation, messaging and tone for the entire organization.
2. Where, if anywhere, are you currently using AI in a practical way?
“In HR, we are using AI in talent acquisition, job descriptions, policy generation, performance reviews and leadership development programs. In recruiting, we are also utilizing an ideal candidate profile versus job description to see how applicants align with what we believe is the ideal candidate for a position,” one HR leader shared.
“Our business strategy prioritizes following the money. Projects that help account managers and business development managers. The goal is to remove administrative burdens and automate transactional work to allow for larger client portfolios and enabling more client-facing time,” another HR leader said.
“We have multiple locations using AI notetakers and service managers utilizing AI for documentation tasks. Encouragement of AI use focuses on practical applications where employees struggle with writing or articulation, positioning as a support tool rather than a replacement,” another HR leader shared.
Bottom line: AI is no longer experimental, it’s operational across the entire organization and all functions.
3. What’s the biggest hesitation or concern you have about expanding AI use?
“I believe providing people with gainful employment and career growth opportunities is important as a society… that is why I have been in HR my entire career. I am personally concerned about how AI is impacting, and will continue to impact, the current workforce in all industries/areas, overall unemployment rates and the future of educational programs,” one HR leader said.
Another HR leader pointed out, “People will lose valuable discourse / context in favor of quick answers (that may not always be correct). AI should be used to augment workflows and information, not replace human judgement.”
“Our initial hesitation is centered on need for proper governance structure while preserving opportunities to experiment and explore. There are also concerns about cost control. For example, enterprise accounts add up quickly if not actively monitored and used,” another HR leader stated.
Bottom line: Despite strong organizational adoption and acceleration, there is concern. Not only in governance, cost control and risk management, but on the authenticity, dignity and impact on the human workforce.
4. Has AI changed how you think about the kind of leaders or skills you’ll need in the future?
“Yes. Leaders unable to keep up with AI adoption will not be able to meet organizational needs. Leaders must embrace AI and think first about how to use AI tools to accomplish things better, faster, and quicker. AI fluency has become a big focus in HR conversations when looking for leadership roles,” one HR leader said.
Another HR leader shared, “The need for critical thinking, understanding unconscious bias in AI, and a focus on end-user experience will be more important than ever. Leaders will need to be more technologically savvy, including how AI improves workflows, in order to create the best customer and employee experience.”
Bottom Line: Leadership expectations are shifting to an AI-first mindset, with a strong focus on critical thinking skills, adaptability and change management experience.
5. What would make you feel confident that your organization is using AI responsibly and effectively?
“Leaders need to get out, meet people, and ask questions about what they are doing and how they are doing it. Confidence in responsible use comes from seeing results and learning from what is working in one place to apply everywhere else. It’s ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’ approach: if a solution is working in one place, spread it to help everywhere else,” one HR leader shared.
Another HR leader stated, “Maintaining human oversight in all employment decisions is essential, with AI never replacing human judgment.”
Finally, I learned that some organizations have hired a Head of AI to establish governance structure and others have instituted an AI Center of Excellence comprised of a cross-functional leadership team to prioritize key projects by ROI/business impact, create policies for responsible AI usage and balance opportunities to experiment, explore and empower workforces.
Bottom Line: The most confident organizations share common characteristics. But, confidence doesn’t come from policy alone. It comes from human judgment and visibility. Leaders walking the floor, asking how AI is being used and sharing solutions that work.
As I reflect on many great conversations, I want to leave you with one comment that really struck me, “The days of struggling to figure things out on your own are over. People need to embrace the tools first.”
