Artificial intelligence is changing how organizations work but the bigger question is whether we are changing how work itself is designed.
In my recently published article in SHRM, “Human-Centered Work Design: Why HR Must Redesign Work, Not Just Deploy Technology,” I explore why AI adoption needs to go beyond introducing new tools and automating existing tasks.
When AI becomes part of a job, roles can change. Employees may take on new responsibilities, develop different skills, make different decisions and collaborate with technology in new ways. This means HR needs to look beyond questions such as:
What can AI automate?
How should humans and AI work together?
A human-centred approach to AI-enabled work considers:
- How jobs and roles need to evolve
- Which activities should be automated, augmented or retained by humans
- What new skills employees will need
- How accountability and decision-making should be structured
- How employees can continuously learn as their roles change
AI adoption, therefore, is not simply a technology initiative. It is a work-design challenge—and HR has an important role in shaping that future.
I explore these ideas in greater detail in my SHRM article.
At Peoplent, we believe the future of work is not about humans versus AI. It is about designing better work through thoughtful human–AI collaboration.
