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If you’re an HR leader in 2026, here’s what nobody wants to say out loud: AI would be so much easier without all these messy humans. The algorithms are predictable. The efficiency gains are measurable. Your AI recruiting tool screens resumes faster than any human could. Your coaching chatbot is available 24/7.
But here’s a scenario that should keep you up at night. It’s March 2026. For six weeks, an employee has been confiding in your company’s AI coaching tool about feeling isolated on her team and questioning whether she belongs. The AI offered supportive messages and coping strategies, but it never escalated to a human.
Last week, she resigned. Now she’s alleging that the company knew she was struggling and did nothing. Your legal team is asking what the AI knew and when. Your executive team is asking why no one intervened. And you’re realizing that “available 24/7” and “actually helpful” are not the same thing.
We asked three experts what 2026 holds for HR leaders navigating AI adoption. Their predictions reveal an uncomfortable truth: The hard part isn’t implementing AI; it’s knowing when not to use it.
AI fluency is basic; discernment is premium
Rita Ramakrishnan, executive coach,
