Corporations worldwide are under mounting pressure from top executives to leverage Artificial Intelligence for productivity gains and cost reductions, particularly within Human Resources. After meetings with dozens of companies, the author notes widespread anxiety about how HR and organizational structures will adapt to rapidly advancing automation tools, with productivity becoming a coded message for workforce downsizing. A key challenge highlighted is the proliferation of redundant and inconsistently defined roles, which is exacerbated by undisciplined hiring practices and ineffective use of existing productivity platforms.
The article argues that truly benefiting from Artificial Intelligence requires a fundamental rethinking of work design, not just layering new technology atop outdated processes. HR leaders must focus on analyzing workflows, standardizing roles, and automating not only transactional but also advisory and analytical functions. As sophisticated Artificial Intelligence agents emerge, many HR tasks—such as project management, recruiting, training, performance evaluations, onboarding, and even skills assessment—are increasingly automated. The example of a pharmaceutical company managing over 6,000 experts with a lean HR team, enabled by automation, illustrates the potential impact on headcount and traditional HR job roles.
This transformation signals an identity crisis for HR: as routine and even complex responsibilities become automated, Human Resources professionals must accelerate their own digital maturity or face severe reductions by cost-focused executives. The future HR function will likely be smaller and more strategic, evolving into consulting roles, managing and training Artificial Intelligence systems, and providing real-time insights about organizational capabilities. Rather than waiting for technology vendors, HR leaders are encouraged to proactively redesign their own teams and workflows to thrive in this era of Artificial Intelligence-led reinvention. Ultimately, the function´s survival and relevance will depend on its ability to orchestrate organizational and productivity redesign, leveraging Artificial Intelligence as a catalyst rather than a threat.
